A rheological and microscopical characterization of biocompatible ferrofluids

There is an increasing interest in suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles in the biomedical area. Those ferrofluids are e.g. used for magnetic resonance imaging and emerging research focuses on employing the fluids for magnetic drug targeting or magnetic particle heating as a potential treatment for cancer. For these applications the knowledge of the suspensions' thermophysical properties is of major interest to guarantee a safe and effective application. Therefore the flow behavior cannot be neglected as it might significantly influence the execution of the aforementioned applications. In this experimental study two biocompatible ferrofluids were investigated. Rheological measurements were carried out using rotational rheometry. To allow an interpretation of the fluids' behavior the microscopic make-up was investigated using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Measurements of diluted ferrofluids were carried out as a first step to simulate the rheological behavior reflecting the concentration of magnetic nanoparticles found in blood flow for most biomedical applications of such fluids. The detected strong effects show the potential to significantly influence application and handling of the biocompatible ferrofluids in the medical area and should therefore be taken into account for further research as well as for the application of such fluids. - Highlights: • The rheology of biocompatible multicore ferrofluids is influenced by magnetic fields. • The flow curves can be described by the Herschel–Bulkley model. • A connection between the magnetoviscous effect and the particle size is found. • The strong magnetoviscous effect exists even if the fluids are diluted. • The connection between the effect and the dilution is mathematically described