Core/shell magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles with radially oriented wide mesopores

Core/shell nanoparticles, containing magnetic iron-oxide (maghemite) core and mesoporous shell with radial porous structure, were prepared by dispersing magnetite nanoparticles and adding tetraethylorthosilicate to a basic aqueous solution containing structure-templating cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and a pore-swelling mesithylene. The material is characterized by SEM and TEM imaging, nitrogen sorption and powder X-ray diffraction. Distinctive features of the prepared material are its high surface area (959m2/g), wide average pore diameter (12.4 nm) and large pore volume (2.3 cm3/g). The material exhibits radial pore structure and the high angle XRD pattern characteristic for maghemite nanoparticles, which are obtained upon calcination of the magnetite-containing material. The observed properties of the prepared material may render the material applicable in separation, drug delivery, sensing and heterogeneous catalysis.