Nonporous@Mesoporous Silica Core–Shell Nanoparticles as a Delivery Platform

The integration of a nonporous silica core with a mesoporous silica shell represents a highly versatile platform for the design of an advanced generation of multifunctional nanomaterials with strong potential in nanomedicine. Here, we systematically investigate a two-step strategy to synthesize submicrometer nonporous@mesoporous silica nanoparticles, elucidating how key parameters govern mesoporous shell growth and morphology. Nonporous silica cores were used as seeds for mesoporous shell growth via a soft-templated approach. By comparing monophasic and microemulsion-assisted routes, a structural evolution from conventional mesoporous shells to hierarchical dendritic large-pore architectures featuring radially oriented channels and dual porosity was achieved. These core@shell nanoparticles were further evaluated as multifunctional platforms for applications in nanomedicine, demonstrating tunable surface chemistry and relevant biocompatibility. In addition, the successful incorporation of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles into the silica cores, together with the preservation of their magnetic properties after core@shell formation, highlights the robustness and versatility of this strategy for engineering multifunctional nanoplatforms for advanced nanomedicine applications.