Multifunctional inorganic nanoparticles for imaging, targeting, and drug delivery

Multifunctional silica nanoparticles provide a framework for the attachment of imaging and targeting agents for applications in spectroscopy, microscopy, and biology while simultaneously serving as supports for molecular machines for the controlled release of cargo. The deliberate placing of molecules or other nanoparticles within specific regions of the mesostructure or the surface of the nanoparticles allows for multiple modes of characterization and application. This review focuses on research related to fluorescence and spectroscopic imaging techniques, targeting strategies to increase particle uptake efficiency in cells, and on demand drug delivery regulated by molecular machines.