Effective thawing of cryopreserved samples requires rapid and uniform heating. This is achievable through nanowarming, an approach that heats magnetic nanoparticles by using alternating magnetic fields. Here we demonstrate the synthesis and surface modification of magnetic nanoclusters for efficient nanowarming. Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoclusters with an optimal diameter of 58 nm exhibit a high specific absorption rate of 1499 W/g Fe under an alternating magnetic field at 43 kA/m and 413 kHz, more than twice that of commercial iron oxide cores used in prior nanowarming studies. Surface modification with a permeable resorcinol-formaldehyde resin (RFR) polymer layer significantly enhances their colloidal stability in complex cryoprotective solutions, while maintaining their excellent heating capacity. The Fe3O4@RFR nanoparticles achieved a high average heating rate of 175 °C/min in cryopreserved samples at a concentration of 10 mg Fe/mL and were successfully applied in nanowarming porcine iliac arteries, highlighting their potential for enhancing the efficacy of cryopreservation.
Keywords: biocompatibility; colloidal stability; iron oxide nanoparticles; magnetic heating; nanowarming; surface modification.