Core‐Cone Structured Monodispersed Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Ultra‐large Cavity for Protein Delivery

A new type of monodispersed mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a core–cone structure (MSN‐CC) has been synthesized. The large cone‐shaped pores are formed by silica lamellae closely packed encircling a spherical core, showing a structure similar to the flower dahlia . MSN‐CC has a large pore size of 45 nm and a high pore volume of 2.59 cm 3 g −1 . MSN‐CC demonstrates a high loading capacity of large proteins and successfully delivers active β‐galactosidase into cells, showing their potential as efficient nanocarriers for the cellular delivery of proteins with large molecular weights.