Multifunctional, multicompartment polyorganosiloxane magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications

We present the synthesis and characterization of maghemite nanoparticles (average size 6 +/- 1.5nm) and their incorporation into the core of polyorganosiloxane core-shell nanospheres (total average diameter 35 +/- 10nm). The nanoparticles are easily redispersable in organic solvents and can subsequently be modified by grafting of end-functionalized poly(ethylene oxide) to obtain water soluble nanospheres. The network structure of the nanospheres allows the diffusion of small molecules into the nanospheres, and consequently the nanospheres can be employed as nanocontainers and nanoreactors for potential biomedical applications. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.