Fabrication of mesoporous silica nanoparticles hybridised with fluorescent AIE-active quinoline-malononitrile for drug delivery and bioimaging

A novel type of fluorescent mesoporous silica nanoparticle (FMSN) has been successfully synthesised by hybridising mesoporous silica nanospheres with an aggregation-induced emission luminogen, a quinoline-malononitrile derivative. The FMSNs with uniform morphology show excellent AIE-active luminescence and good biocompatibility. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrates that the well-ordered mesoporous structure in FMSNs is beneficial for drug delivery. When loaded with doxorubicin (DOX), DOX@FMSNs demonstrate pH-dependent release character and high cytotoxicity towards MCF-7 cancer cells. These FMSNs are expected to be promising multifunctional candidates as both bioimaging agents and drug carriers in cancer therapy.