Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-modified citric-acid coated magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles for anticancer drug delivery

In this work, magnetic nanoparticles coated with citric acid (Fe3O4@Cit) were synthesized via co-precipitation strategy. Then, Fe3O4@Cit was modified with octa-aminopropyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane hydrochloride salt nanoparticles (OAPOSS NPs) by amidation reaction between carboxylic acid end groups on Fe3O4@Cit and the amine groups of OAPOSS surface (Fe3O4@Cit@OAPOSS). The key point of this approach is utilizing a symmetric nanosized cagelike POSS NPs as coating material to obtain novel hybrid drug nanocarrier. The successful preparation of nanocarrier (Fe3O4@Cit@OAPOSS) was confirmed by various techniques. Drug loading and release behaviors of Fe3O4@Cit@OAPOSS were evaluated using doxorubicin (DOX), a standard anticancer model drug, in neutral and acidic conditions. Moreover, Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models were used to study the release kinetics of DOX. Obtained results confirmed the suitability of Fe3O4@Cit@OAPOSS as a potential novel nanocarrier for drug delivery.