Multifunctional superparamagnetic MnO@SiO2 core/shell nanoparticles and their application for optical and magnetic resonance imaging

Highly biocompatible multifunctional nanocomposites consisting of monodisperse manganese oxide nanoparticles with luminescent silica shells were synthesized by a combination of w/o-microemulsion techniques and common sol–gel procedures. The nanoparticles were characterized by TEM analysis, powder XRD, SQUID magnetometry, FT-IR, UV/vis and fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering. Due to the presence of hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains on the SiO2 surface, the nanocomposites are highly soluble and stable in various aqueous solutions, including physiological saline, buffer solutions and human blood serum. The average number of surface amino groups available for lig…