Magnetically actuated nanomotor, which swims under externally applied magnetic fields, shows great promise for controlled cargo delivery and release in biological fluids. Here, we report an on-demand release of 6-carboxyfluoresceins (FAM), a green fluorescein, from G-quadruplex DNA functionalized magnetically actuated wormlike nanomotors by applying an alternating magnetic field. This field-triggered FAM releasing process can be easily controlled by multiple parameters such as magnetic field, frequency, and exposure time. In addition, the experimental results and the theoretical simulation demonstrate that both a thermal and a nonthermal mechanism are involved in the cargo releasing process.
Keywords: CoFe2O4 nanoparticles; HeLa cells; cargo delivery; magnetic actuation; wormlike nanomotor.