journal article·2026-02

Janus Nanohybrids Enable Superflash Warming and High‐Affinity Ice Confinement for Cross‐Scale Cryopreservation

Tao Ke, Xin Fan, Shuang Zheng, Xing Liu, Haotian Sun, Hui Fan, Ming Yang, Qianyun Lu, Hao Xie, Hongfeng Zhou, Mengyao Song, Shichun Ma, Guosheng Shi, Qian Lu, Hongya Geng

Advanced Materials· Volume 38· Issue 8
Publisher page

Abstract

Abstract Strong hydration of cryoprotective agents reduces the glass transition temperature of water and suppresses ice formation. However, lethal cooling and warming remain a critical obstacle to cross‐scale cryopreservation of clinical biospecimens. Herein, a snowman‐like Janus nanohybrid composed of magnetic iron tetraoxide and photothermal polypyrrole is reported. Its cranial–corporal asymmetry enables heterogeneous hydration for a record high efficiency of ice confinement, reducing mean ice crystal area by 98.4%. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that Janus architecture simultaneously enhances interactions with ice and strengthens the local hydration anisotropy, accounting for the effective inhibition of ice growth. Superflash warming over 920 °C min ‒1 by magnetically rotating its anisotropic structure for uniform heat dissipation narrows the hostile temperature window in micro‐/macroscopic scenarios, as further confirmed by Monte Carlo modeling. This design enables cost‐effective post‐thaw magnetic retrieval, eliminating the need for heavy centrifuges, well‐suited for scalable and on‐site applications. As a result, cryopreserved samples from single cells, bacteria, to porcine trachea retain near‐complete viability and functionality. Therefore, this study offers a promising technique to bridge the gap between microscale cell storage and whole‐organ preservation.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods · Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology · Algal biology and biofuel production

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering Shenzhen International Graduate School Key Laboratory of Active Proteins and Peptides Green Biomanufacturing of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes Tsinghua University Shenzhen Guangdong 518055 China

School of Energy and Mechanical Engineering Nanjing Normal University Nanjing Jiangsu 210023 China

Shanghai Applied Radiation Institute Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atomic Control and Application of Inorganic 2D Supermaterials State Key Lab. Advanced Special Steel Shanghai University Shanghai 200444 China

Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Chengdu 610000 China

Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Beijing Tsinghua Changgeng Hospital Tsinghua University Beijing 102218 China

Funding

Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program · Tsinghua University · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology · Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai Municipality

References (74)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.1038/s41551-021-00784-z10.1038/s41551-021-00784-z ↗
2. 10.1038/s44222-024-00261-710.1038/s44222-024-00261-7 ↗
3. 10.1038/s41467-023-38824-810.1038/s41467-023-38824-8 ↗
4. 10.3390/bioengineering1005050810.3390/bioengineering10050508 ↗
5. 10.1038/313573a010.1038/313573a0 ↗
6. 10.1021/jp073113e10.1021/jp073113e ↗
7. 10.1039/c0cp02326d10.1039/c0cp02326d ↗
8. 10.1177/096368972199961710.1177/0963689721999617 ↗
9. 10.1038/s41598-025-85509-x10.1038/s41598-025-85509-x ↗
10. 10.3390/ijms25201112410.3390/ijms252011124 ↗
11. 10.1021/jacs.1c0196310.1021/jacs.1c01963 ↗
12. 10.1002/advs.20200460510.1002/advs.202004605 ↗
13. 10.1038/s41570-022-00407-410.1038/s41570-022-00407-4 ↗
14. 10.1016/0011-2240(78)90012-310.1016/0011-2240(78)90012-3 ↗
15. 10.1016/j.crgsc.2020.10004210.1016/j.crgsc.2020.100042 ↗
16. 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.11476310.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.114763 ↗
17. 10.1016/j.materresbull.2025.11334510.1016/j.materresbull.2025.113345 ↗
18. 10.1038/s41467-025-63483-210.1038/s41467-025-63483-2 ↗
19. 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2004.02.00210.1016/j.cryobiol.2004.02.002 ↗
20. 10.1002/adem.20240080010.1002/adem.202400800 ↗
21. 10.1126/sciadv.abe300510.1126/sciadv.abe3005 ↗
22. 10.1002/adma.20200594010.1002/adma.202005940 ↗
23. 10.1021/acsnano.3c0846710.1021/acsnano.3c08467 ↗
24. 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.06.06510.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.06.065 ↗
25. 10.1021/ja102591z10.1021/ja102591z ↗
26. 10.1021/ja101270r10.1021/ja101270r ↗
27. 10.1002/dro2.13110.1002/dro2.131 ↗
28. 10.1021/acsnano.7b0176210.1021/acsnano.7b01762 ↗
29. 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2005.12.00610.1016/j.cryobiol.2005.12.006 ↗
30. 10.1186/s12915-021-00976-810.1186/s12915-021-00976-8 ↗
31. 10.1002/adfm.20242131810.1002/adfm.202421318 ↗
32. 10.1002/advs.20200242510.1002/advs.202002425 ↗
33. 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2021.01.01710.1016/j.cryobiol.2021.01.017 ↗
34. 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b0020110.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00201 ↗
35. 10.1115/1.406644510.1115/1.4066445 ↗
36. 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.04.02510.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.04.025 ↗
37. 10.1038/s41586-019-1827-610.1038/s41586-019-1827-6 ↗
38. 10.1021/jacs.7b0549010.1021/jacs.7b05490 ↗
39. 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c0126710.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01267 ↗
40. 10.1002/anie.20170670310.1002/anie.201706703 ↗
41. 10.1002/adma.20160684310.1002/adma.201606843 ↗
42. 10.1039/D0MH00354A10.1039/D0MH00354A ↗
43. 10.1021/jacs.8b0206610.1021/jacs.8b02066 ↗
44. 10.1002/adfm.20240231210.1002/adfm.202402312 ↗
45. 10.1021/acsapm.2c0149610.1021/acsapm.2c01496 ↗
46. 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.11.29310.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.11.293 ↗
47. 10.1039/D2CP04445E10.1039/D2CP04445E ↗
48. 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c0305910.1021/acs.nanolett.3c03059 ↗
49. 10.1016/j.carbon.2017.08.07410.1016/j.carbon.2017.08.074 ↗
50. 10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b0039610.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00396 ↗
51. 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.10966910.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.109669 ↗
52. 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c0199510.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01995 ↗
53. 10.1002/adfm.20150304710.1002/adfm.201503047 ↗
54. 10.1002/anie.20231104710.1002/anie.202311047 ↗
55. 10.1016/j.saa.2022.12182510.1016/j.saa.2022.121825 ↗
56. 10.1021/acsami.5c1071010.1021/acsami.5c10710 ↗
57. 10.1021/nn103213y10.1021/nn103213y ↗
58. 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c0056910.1021/acs.langmuir.5c00569 ↗
59. 10.1002/adfm.20241441910.1002/adfm.202414419 ↗
60. 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2021.10689710.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2021.106897 ↗
61. 10.1080/02656736.2020.179851410.1080/02656736.2020.1798514 ↗
62. 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.01.01310.1016/j.jconrel.2013.01.013 ↗
63. 10.1126/scitranslmed.aah458610.1126/scitranslmed.aah4586 ↗
64. 10.1038/s41598-018-33234-z10.1038/s41598-018-33234-z ↗
65. 10.1002/advs.20240578110.1002/advs.202405781 ↗
66. 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.12188110.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121881 ↗
67. 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2013.11.00410.1016/j.cryobiol.2013.11.004 ↗
68. 10.1038/s43587-025-00823-310.1038/s43587-025-00823-3 ↗
69. 10.1038/s41591-018-0139-y10.1038/s41591-018-0139-y ↗
70. 10.1038/s41576-024-00794-y10.1038/s41576-024-00794-y ↗
71. 10.1016/j.cell.2017.02.00910.1016/j.cell.2017.02.009 ↗
72. 10.1126/science.ads076810.1126/science.ads0768 ↗
73. 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2017.02.00110.1016/j.cryobiol.2017.02.001 ↗
74. 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2020.02.00310.1016/j.cryobiol.2020.02.003 ↗