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Cover Picture: Composite Silica Spheres with Magnetic and Luminescent Functionalities (Adv. Funct. Mater. 4/2006)
Author(s) -
SalgueiriñoMaceira V.,
CorreaDuarte M. A.,
Spasova M.,
LizMarzán L. M.,
Farle M.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200690014
Subject(s) - materials science , luminescence , photoluminescence , nanoparticle , dispersity , magnetic nanoparticles , composite number , quantum dot , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , composite material , optoelectronics , polymer chemistry , engineering
Abstract Photographs of a colloidal dispersion of composite nanoparticles with magnetic and luminescent functionalities are shown (left, in column), which are schematically illustrated in the main image. As reported by Salgueiriño‐Maceira and co‐workers on p. 509, such functionalities are imparted by magnetic and semiconductor nanoparticles within a silica matrix. In the absence of a magnetic field the particles are uniformly dispersed, although they accumulate and can be dragged under the influence of a magnetic field. Their movement can be monitored by their photoluminescence. A new class of highly fluorescent, photostable, and magnetic core/shell nanoparticles in the submicrometer size range has been synthesized from a modified Stöber method combined with the layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly technique. Luminescent magnetic nanoparticles are prepared via two main steps. The first step involves controlled addition of tetraethoxysilane to a dispersion of Fe 3 O 4 /γ‐Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles, which are thereby homogeneously incorporated as cores into monodisperse silica spheres. The second step involves the LbL assembly of polyelectrolytes and luminescent CdTe quantum dots onto the surfaces of the silica‐coated magnetite/maghemite particles, which are finally covered with an outer shell of silica. These spherical particles have a typical diameter of 220 ± 10 nm and a saturation magnetization of 1.34 emu g –1 at room temperature, and exhibit strong excitonic photoluminescence. Nanoparticles with such a core/shell architecture have the added benefit of providing a robust platform (the outer silica shell) for incorporating diverse functionalities into a single nanoparticle.