Facile Synthesis of Core-shell Magnetic Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for pH-sensitive Anticancer Drug Delivery

The facile synthesis of core-shell magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Fe3 O4 @mSiO2 NPs) was reported in aqueous phase using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a template under alcohol-free conditions. Compared to the conventional synthesis method for core-shell Fe3 O4 @mSiO2 NPs, the approach in this study is rapid (only 5-min reaction time), cheap (without using organic agents), and environmentally friendly (one-step synthesis in alcohol-free medium). Doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded Fe3 O4 @mSiO2 NPs exert extraordinarily high specificity for liver cancer cells, which was due to the pH-sensitive doxorubicin release, as well as higher endocytosis capacity in liver cancer cells rather than normal liver cells. The potential advantages of using such Fe3 O4 @mSiO2 NPs as the vehicle of anticancer drugs were that the Fe3 O4 @mSiO2 NPs exhibit good biocompatibility, high loading and protection of the guest molecules, selective killing effect, and efficient cellular uptake. The exciting pH-dependent release properties of doxorubicin-loaded Fe3 O4 @mSiO2 NPs make their use a promising strategy for enhancing efficient therapy toward tumors, while reducing the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin to human normal neutral tissue or cells.