Magnetic colloidosomes fabricated by Fe3O4–SiO2 hetero-nanorods

Abstract

Magnetic colloidosomes were fabricated by directing self-assembly of magnetic-mesoporous hetero-nanorods at the interface of water-in-oil droplets. Emulsions stabilized by the adsorbed particles without any surfactant indicate that such rod-like nanoparticles have specific advantages in making stable and intact shells than spherical particles. The integrity and emulsion stability of the colloidosomes were strongly influenced by the geometric shape of the hetero-nanorods. The optimum length of the nanorods to construct the colloidosomes was studied and demonstrated. The as-formed magnetic colloidosomes can exhibit unique encapsulation behaviors and show strong magnetic response properties, which will find huge potential application in multicompartment reactor, drug delivery and other biomedical fields.