Scalable synthesis of multicomponent multifunctional inorganic core@mesoporous silica shell nanocomposites

Autor: Gregori Casals, Hongzhi Zhou, Guillermo Fernández-Varo, Eudald Casals, Wladimiro Jiménez, Jingbao Peng, Marina Parra-Robert, Li Qihong, Jessica M. Rosenholm, Rong Zhifeng, Diti Desai, Didem Şen Karaman, Víctor F. Puntes, Ying Shu, Muling Zeng, Huiling Yang
Přispěvatelé: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Wuyi University, Guangdong Science and Technology Department, Academy of Finland, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, European Commission
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
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ISSN: 1873-0191
Popis: Integrating multiple materials with different functionalities in a single nanostructure enables advances in many scientific and technological applications. However, such highly sophisticated nanomaterials usually require complex synthesis processes that complicate their preparation in a sustainable and industrially feasible manner. Herein, we designed a simple general method to grow a mesoporous silica shell onto any combination of hydrophilic nanoparticle cores. The synthetic strategy, based on the adjustment of the key parameters of the sol-gel process for the silica shell formation, allows for the embedment of single, double, and triple inorganic nanoparticles within the same shell, as well as the size-control of the obtained nanocomposites. No additional interfacial adhesive layer is required on the nanoparticle surfaces for the embedding process. Adopting this approach, electrostatically stabilized, small-sized (from 4 to 15 nm) CeO2, Fe3O4, Gd2O3, NaYF4, Au, and Ag cores were used to test the methodology. The mean diameter of the resulting nanocomposites could be as low as 55 nm, with high monodispersity. These are very feasible sizes for biological intervention, and we further observed increased nanoparticle stability in physiological environments. As a demonstration of their increased activity as a result of this, the antioxidant activity of CeO2 cores was enhanced when in core-shell form. Remarkably, the method is conducted entirely at room temperature, atmospheric conditions, and in aqueous solvent with the use of ethanol as co-solvent. These facile and even "green" synthesis conditions favor scalability and easy preparation of multicomponent nanocomposite libraries with standard laboratory glassware and simple benchtop chemistry, through this sustainable and cost-effective fabrication process.
This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31950410536 to E.C. and 22005221 to M.Z.), the Wuyi University (2018TP010 to E.C., 2018TP011 and 2020FKZX05 to M.Z., and 2019TD02 to J.P.), Guangdong Science and Technology Department (2019A050512006 to E.C.), the Academy of Finland (309374 to J.M.R.), and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III of Spain (PI19/00774 to G.F-V and G.C.), co-financed by FEDER, European Union, “A way of making Europe”.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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