Preparation and characterisation of multifunctional magnetic-fluorescent Fe3O4/carbon dots/silica composites

Mesoporous Fe3O4/carbon dots (CDs)/silica microspheres with large surface area, good fluorescence and magnetic property have been synthesised with as-prepared Fe3O4 nanoparticles, silane-functionalised CDs and tetraethyl orthosilicate as co-precursors and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide as the pore-directing agent. Because of their good blue fluorescence, magnetic property and large surface areas, these particles were found to have potential in bimodal cellular imaging, drug delivery, molecular targeting and as building blocks for the assembly of complex nanostructures.