Numerical Investigation of Electroporation in the Presence of Silica-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles: Electric Field Perturbation and Transmembrane Voltage Enhancement During Pulse Rise Time

Electroporation outcomes are governed by the local electric field distribution and transmembrane voltage, both of which may be altered by nanoscale elements positioned near the cell membrane. In this study, we developed a two-dimensional finite-element electromagnetic model to investigate the effect of a membrane-proximal silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle cluster during a trapezoidal electroporation pulse. The model couples electric and magnetic field components with a membrane electroporation formulation based on Smoluchowski-type pore-density dynamics. Simulations were performed with and without a nanoparticle positioned 5 nm from the membrane, considering different cytosol and extracellular medium conductivities. The results show that the nanoparticle induces a highly localized perturbation of the electric field, whose magnitude depends on the sampling region and conductivity contrast. Transmembrane voltage is modestly and transiently modulated during pulse rise time, whereas the effect is limited during the pulse plateau. Pore-density analysis further indicates that the nanoparticle does not induce a generalized increase in electroporation-related parameters and may locally reduce pore density near the nanoparticle–membrane interface. Overall, the model identifies transient and conductivity-dependent nanoscale field redistribution caused by membrane-proximal silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles, while highlighting the need for three-dimensional modeling and experimental validation before inferring electroporation enhancement.