Particulate systems, regardless micron or nano-sized, play an important role in various applications. In recent years, multi-layered, including coreeshell, particles have been developed and exploited for a number of applications ranging from biomedical, catalysis, diagnostic, energy to wastewater treatment. While some multi-layered particles are designed to be wholly inorganic-based, a substantial proportion of these functionalized particles are designed using polymers. Polymers may play a role as a template, a material component of the particle or may be employed in the full design of the particle. In this review article, the key applications of multi-layered particles will be highlighted, while addressing to the role of polymers in the architectural design of these functionalized, application-driven particles. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.