INTRODUCTION:

Nanoparticle research has been gaining ground in the past few years due to their wide range of applications in various fields, including biomedical engineering. Nanoparticles are particles that contain at least one dimension that is less than 100nm. Core/shell nanoparticles are becoming important due to their enhanced properties. Nanostructures that have cores made up of a material coated with another material are called core/shell nanoparticles. They enhance the thermal and chemical stability of the nanoparticles, improve their solubility, and can also prevent the oxidation of the core material. [1,2].

TYPES OF CORE SHELL NANO PARTICLES

Core/shell nanoparticles can be broadly classified into 3 groups based on the material with which they are made: inorganic core/shell nanoparticles, organic-inorganic hybrid core/shell nanoparticles, and polymeric core/shell nanoparticles.

http://www.uea.ac.uk/~c016/coreshell.htm

INORGANIC CORE SHELL NANOPARTICLES:

In inorganic core/shell nanoparticles, the core or the shell or both are made of inorganic materials. They can be made up of metals, semiconductors, or lanthanides. Metallic nanoparticles are when the core or the shell contain metallic components. Gold or silver cores with silica shells are the most widely used core/shell nanocomposites. These kinds of metallic nanoparticles have applications in fluorescent bioimaging, magnetic imaging for biological applications, in food processing and humidity sensors, and are also used as catalysts [4].Another type of inorganic core/shell nanoparticles are semiconductor nanoparticles. These have cored made of semiconductor material, semiconductor alloy or metal oxide and a shell made up of semiconductor material, metal oxide, or an inorganic material like silica [4]. Lanthanide nanoparticles have cores with contain one or more lanthanide group elements and a shell made of inorganic material like silica or a lanthanide material. These have potential applications in electronics ,drug delivery and bioimaging.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v461/n7264/fig_tab/461604a_F1.html

ORGANIC-INORGANIC HYBRID CORE SHELL NANOPARTICLES:

Organic-inorganic hybrid core/shell nanoparticles can have either an organic core with an inorganic shell, or an inorganic core with an organic shell. In the first case, the core consists of organic compounds and can be polymers of organic compounds, while the shell is a metal, silica or silicone.

http://www.fz-juelich.de/iff/e_ins_synthese/ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pola.v46:5/issuetoc

POLYMERIC CORE SHELL NANOPARTICLES:

Polymeric core/shell nanoparticles are particles that have a polymeric core and a polymeric shell. They are dispersed in a matrix which can be any material whose property is to be modified.

http://nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.com/2010/01/bridgestone-americas-claimsnew.html Core/shell nanoparticles have applications in a wide range of fields. The main industries in which they are being used are bioimaging, drug delivery, biomarkers and transplants. They are used for MRI and luminescence. Magnetic core/shell nanoparticles can be used to enhance MRI images by improving the contrast. Core/shell nanoparticles are also used for drug delivery, including such applications as drug eluting stents, and drug loaded contact lenses. Polymeric core/shell nanocomposites are commonly used as a transplant material, and are used in dental braces and joint replacements [5]. Nanoparticles can also be used for lipid and protein detection, and as a medical dressing for quicker wound healing.

http://www.chm.tu-dresden.de/pc2/nano_introduction.shtml

REFERENCES:
[1] [2] (2007). [3] (2006). [4] Cui X, Li CM, Zang J, Yu S. Highly sensitive lactate biosensor by engineering chitosan/PVI-Os/CNT/LOD network nanocomposite. Biosens Bioelectron 2007; 3288-3292. [5] Katti KS: Biomaterials in total join replacement. Colloids and surfaces b: biointerfaces 2004; 39: 133-142. Wang, X., Hall, J.E., Bohm, G.G.A., Lin, C.J.: US20060083926 Al Manocha LM, Composites with Nanomaterials, Edited by Kurt E. Mihai, B.S.E., Chunming, N., Erik, CS.: US20070122101A1 Geckeler ER, California: American Scientific Publishers; 2006.