Recent research progress on magnetic nanocomposites with silica shell structures: preparation and nanotheranostic applications.

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles hold much promise for applications in biomedical fields, such as targeted drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging, therapeutic agents and bioseparation. The core/shell architectures designed by combining magnetic nanoparticles core with silica shell make it possible for in vivo applications. The core/shell structures with different types will have different application prospects. This review provides a brief overview of recent progress in the synthesis and nanotheranostic applications of magnetic materials/silica core/shell nanoparticles with different configurations.