ABSTRACT
Nanosized particles are promising candidates as delivery vehicles in
nanomedicine applications. They can be designed to be colloidally
stable under diverse environmental conditions found in the body,
they have an excellent drug-loading capacity, and their biodistri-
bution can be controlled through size and shape [1]. One unique
nanoparticle (NP) with a yolk-shell structure represents a new
generation of smart NPs. The yolk-shell nanoparticles (YSNs) or
“nanorattles” have a distinctive core-void-shell structure, generally
indicated as A-B. The multilevel structure consists of a shell, a void,
and a core and could be used for therapy and diagnosis, as first
demonstrated by Xu et al. in 2007 [2]. Controlling the physical and
chemical properties of the yolk and shell makes YSNs attractive in
the delivery of therapeutics, targeting agents, imaging agents, and
hyperthermia agents.
