“Ball-Rod” Shaped Multifunctional Magnetic Janus Nanoparticles for Efficient Drug Delivery

Abstract

Magnetic Janus nanoparticles (MJNPs) have attracted extensive attention in the biomedical field due to their asymmetrical composition and independent functional partitioning. In this paper, “ball-rod” shaped drug delivery systems (DDSs) with CoFe2O4 balls and mesoporous silica (mSiO2) rods, which were coated with CDs via imine bonds, were prepared. The DDSs were named CoFe2O4&mSiO2/CDs MJNPs and DOX was used as a model drug to form DOX-CoFe2O4&mSiO2. Capping agent CDs blocked the pore entrance and endowed the carriers with negatively charged surface. CoFe2O4&mSiO2/CDs showed fine magnetic properties and microwave (MW) thermal transition properties contributed to the ball portion of CoFe2O4. The drug release behavior of DOX-CoFe2O4&mSiO2/CDs showed pH/MW dual-responsiveness. The broken of imine bonds resulted in the detachment of CDs and the NPs became positively charged. The new NPs provided new insights for designing multi-functional DDSs.

Keywords: Janus, mesoporous silica, dual-sensitive, magnetic targeting, carbon dots