Magnetic Fe3O4@Mesoporous Silica Composite Microspheres: Synthesis and Biomedical Applications

Abstract

With the development of nanotechnology, multifunctional nanoparticles have attracted great attention in the field of biomedicine in recent years. Magnetic Fe3O4@mSiO2composite microspheres (MMS), consist of magnetic Fe3O4cores and mesoporous silica shells, are considered as promising biomedical materials. In this review, we focused on the current advances in synthesis methods and biomedical applications of MMS. At First, we outlined different structures of MMS such as core–shell, hollow and rattle type MMS, and their structures, synthesis approaches and properties were discussed in detail. Combining with the magnetism of Fe3O4and the mesopores of mSiO2, MMS were wildly applied in biomedical. Then, we summarized the biomedical applications of MMS, including drug loading and release, MRI, tumour targeted therapy, hyperthermia, multimodal cancer therapies and bioseparation. At last, the great potentials of MMS as multifunctional diagnose and therapy platforms were discussed.