Fabrication of novel magnetic nanoparticles-coated P(styrene-itaconic acid-divinylbenzene) microspheres

In this paper, P(styrene-itaconic acid-divinylbenzene) microspheres (P(St-IA-DVB) microspheres) based on styrene (St), itaconic acid (IA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) were prepared via water-in-oil emulsions method (W/O) in the presence of emulsifiers with the size of 5–10 μm. The magnetic nanoparticles (i.e. Fe3O4) coated tightly on the surface of P(St-IA-DVB) microspheres were prepared in water with a continuous stirring. The morphology of blank microspheres and magnetic nanoparticles-coated microspheres was investigated in this work. In vitro drug release behavior was studied using doxorubicin as a model drug, and these magnetic nanoparticles-coated P(St-IA-DVB) (MNPSID) microspheres might have great potential application in magnetically targeted and thermal therapy.