Single-Frequency Microwave-Assisted Nanogel-Protein Complexation for Hybrid Biomaterial Fabrication

The production of nanocarriers for protein delivery with adequate in vivo stability and precise control over protein release faces significant challenges. Microwave hyperthermia, which enables noninvasive and localized thermal regulation, is attracting increasing attention as an externally triggered drug delivery strategy. In the present study, we developed an efficient method for controlling the complexation of polysaccharide nanogels or their cross-linked hydrogels and proteins. Our strategy is to use highly controlled microwave irradiation with precisely regulated frequency and power. We found that programmable microwave power delivery with temperature feedback enabled rapid and reproducible thermal processing under the tested conditions. This offers a potential strategy for protein-biomaterial processing. The use of renewable polysaccharide-based nanogels, together with microwave-assisted process intensification, may provide a useful strategy for protein-biomaterial processing.