Human-like collagen protein-coated magnetic nanoparticles with high magnetic hyperthermia performance and improved biocompatibility

Human-like collagen (HLC)-coated monodispersed superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles have been successfully prepared to investigate its effect on heat induction property and cell toxicity. After coating of HLC, the sample shows a faster rate of temperature increase under an alternating magnetic field although it has a reduced saturation magnetization. This is most probably a result of the effective heat conduction and good colloid stability due to the high charge of HLC on the surface. In addition, compared with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles before coating with HLC, HLC-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles do not induce notable cytotoxic effect at higher concentration which indicates that HLC-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles has improved biocompatibility. Our results clearly show that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles after coating with HLC not only possess effective heat induction for cancer treatment but also have improved biocompatibility for biomedicine applications.