Non-toxicmagnetic-luminescentironoxideMn2þ-dopedzincsulfide(Fe3O4/ZnS:Mn)composite
nanoparticlesweresynthesizedthroughaone-stepchemicaldepositionrouteusingsurface-treated
Fe3O4 nanoparticles.HighresolutionelectronmicroscopyandX-raydiffractionanalysesshowedthat
the twoindividualphasesco-existwithahighdegreeofcrystallinequality,noparasiticphaseswere
found.Theaveragecrystallitesizewasaround9nm.Atthedopinglevelof20–25wt%Mn2þ, the
luminescencesignalofthecompositeat598nmisveryintense,comparabletothatofZnS:Mn.This
remarkableeffecthasbeenevidencedsolelyforFe3O4 Cd2þ-based composites,whicharetoxic.
Moreover,thesuperparamagneticresponseofFe3O4 with near-zerocoercivityissuccessfullyretained
in thecomposite.ThisnotablebifunctionalityofFe3O4/ZnS:Mncanenableboth in vivo and in vitro
biomedicalapplications.