Iron nanoparticles encapsulated within graphene shells (Fe@C) were examined for cellular internalization, subcellular behavior, biocompatibility, and influence on cell viability and proliferation. Studies on human lung (adenocarcinoma human alveolar basal epithelial) and skin (epidermoid carcinoma) cells indicate Fe@C is less toxic and more biocompatible than the magnetite nanoparticles coated by an amorphous carbon (Fe₃O₄@C). Fe₃O₄@C exhibited more signs of degradation than Fe@C when exposed to murine macrophages (mouse monocyte-macrophages J774). Unlike Fe₃O₄@C, Fe@C has a high drug loading capacity (0.18 g/g) for ferulic acid, an active pharmaceutical ingredient found in the traditional Chinese herb Angelica sinensis and releases the drug at a constant dosing rate of 8.75 mg/g/day over 30 days. Ferulic acid released by Fe@C injected subcutaneously in diabetic BALB/c mice is effective in lowering the blood glucose level.

检查了包裹在石墨烯壳 (Fe@C) 中的铁纳米颗粒的细胞内化、亚细胞行为、生物相容性以及对细胞活力和增殖的影响。_{对人肺（腺癌人肺泡基底上皮细胞）和皮肤（表皮样癌）细胞的研究表明，Fe@C 比涂有无定形碳 (Fe 3} O ₄ @C)的磁铁矿纳米粒子毒性更小，生物相容性更强。当暴露于鼠巨噬细胞（小鼠单核细胞-巨噬细胞 J774）时，Fe ₃ O _{4 @C 比 Fe@C 表现出更多的降解迹象。}与 Fe ₃ O _4不同@C，Fe@C 对阿魏酸具有很高的载药能力 (0.18 g/g)，阿魏酸是一种在中药 当归中发现的活性药物成分， 并以 8.75 mg/g/天的恒定给药速率释放药物超过 30 天。糖尿病BALB/c小鼠皮下注射Fe@C释放的阿魏酸可有效降低血糖水平。