Synthesis and application in drug delivery of hollow-core-double-shell magnetic iron oxide/silica/calcium silicate nanocomposites

Nanocomposites with magnetic iron oxide as the hollow core, silica as the middle shell and calcium silicate as the outer shell are the ideal agent for application in medical diagnosis and therapy. In this paper, by sol-gel coating the self-assembled nanoparticles of magnetic iron oxide with silica, then reacting with Ca(NO3)(2)center dot 4H(2)O at 600 degrees C in inert N-2 atmosphere, the nanocomposite consisting of hollow-core-double-shell magnetic iron oxide/silica/calcium silicate has been successfully synthesized. The components of the hollow core, middle layer and outer layer are Fe3O4, SiO2, CaSiO4, respectively. The nanocomposite has a superparamagnetic behavior and good drug delivery performance, which are promising for the application in targeted drug delivery. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.