A multifunctional nanocomposite of magnetic γ-Fe2O3 and mesoporous fluorescent ZnO

We report here, the drug conjugation and release characteristics of a multifunctional composite material made of magnetically active gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and optically active mesoporous ZnO nanoparticles. It has been observed that mesoporous ZnO uptake around 86% of the anti cancer drug, daunorubicin hydrochloride, rapidly (within 60 min) and the gamma-Fe2O3 helps in separating the drug loaded composite nanomaterials from solution for further characterization. The unaltered emission spectral characteristics of the drug molecule indicate successful incorporation into the composite matrix. We also monitored the release of the drug, with and without ultrasonic irradiation. It has been observed that in both cases the amount of drug released was higher in the acidic pH, thereby confirming its potential in anti cancer drug delivery applications. The prepared nanocomposite of gamma-Fe2O3 and mesoporous ZnO exhibited multi-functionality, could load larger amount of daunorubicin hydrochloride in a very short time and also could control the drug release under sonication thereby making it an ideal material for drug delivery applications. The presence of a high saturation magnetization value along with visible emission makes this composite an ideal multifunctional material for drug loading studies. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.