Magnetic hollow spheres of periodic mesoporous organosilica and Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals: Fabrication and structure control

Abstract

A study was conducted to demonstrate the preparation of a novel periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) magnetic hollow sphere (PMO-MHS), by embedding the monodisperse magnetite nanocrystals into the cavities of highly ordered PMO hollow spheres. It was demonstrated that the particle size thickness of the hollow shell and amount of magnetic particles encapsulated are controllable. It was observed that the new PMO-MHS material exhibits small particle size, low density, high surface area, large pore volume, and a high saturation magnetization value. It was demonstrated that these essential properties render PMO-MHS, with a high drug-loading capacity and magnetic-field-induced mobility. It was also demonstrated that functionalized PMO surfaces can be easily modified with functionalities, such as antibodies for interaction with drug molecules and for target delivery to certain cancer cells.