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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Alternating Magnetic Field-Responsive Hybrid Gelatin Microgels for Controlled Drug Release
Published on: February 13, 2016
Alternating-Magnetic-Field-Mediated Wireless Manipulations of a Liquid Metal for Therapeutic Bioengineering
1Department of Materials and Chemistry, Nanomaterials Research Institute (NMRI), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan.
Abstract:
As emergent multifunctional materials, room temperature liquid metals (LMs) display many unique properties. Here we show that applying an external alternating magnetic field (AMF) to an LM induces various physical phenomena, such as exothermic behavior, controlled locomotion, electromagnetic levitation, and transformations of the LMs between different morphologies and configurations, in a non-contact manner. Additional interesting therapeutic bioengineering applications of LMs demonstrated herein include in vitro and in vivo effective cancer magnetic hyperthermia via wireless AMF, remote manipulation of a pill-shaped microdevice based on an LM/hydrogel composite, and spatiotemporal controlled release of drug molecules from the microdevice. Overall, as an innovative therapeutic bioengineering technology, this platform and the described performance traits of LMs enable the development of biocompatible smart devices with a wide range of dynamic components that can be wirelessly controlled in a manner that solves issues related to the powering of devices and biocompatibility.
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