Biological Applications of Core-Shell Nanoparticles
Fatemeh Hakimian
Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Email: f.hakimian@ut.ac.ir
Introduction: Core-shell nanoparticles have a core made of a material coated with another
one. In biological applications core-shell nanoparticles have major advantages over simple
nanoparticles leading to the improvement of properties such as less cytotoxicity, increase in
dispersibility, bio- and cyto-compatibility, better conjugation with other bioactive molecules,
increased thermal and chemical stability and so on. Methods: The nanoparticles were
characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, transmission electronic microscopy, fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–Vis absorption spectrometry. Results: Core-shell
nanoparticles are widely used in different applications such as biomedical and pharmaceutical
applications, catalysis, electronics, enhancing photoluminescence, biosensors, etc. In the
biomedical field, the majority of these particles are used for bioimaging, controlled drug
release, targeted drug delivery, cell labeling, and tissue engineering applications. For in vivo
applications, nanoparticles can used as a sensor for the detection of damaged cells, DNA, RNA,
glucose, cholesterol, etc. Conclusion: Core-Shell Nanoparticles have gained considerable
attention. These materials show novel properties which are different from their singlecomponent counterpart. By simply tuning the core to shell ratio, the properties can be altered.
Keywords: Core-Shell Nanoparticles; Biosensor; Thermal stability; Biological applications.
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