Coating of upconversion nanoparticles with silica nanoshells of 5-250 nm thickness.

ABSTRACT: A concept for the growth of silica shells with a thickness of 5-250 nm onto oleate-coated NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) is presented. The concept enables the precise adjustment of shell thicknesses for the preparation of thick-shelled nanoparticles for applications in plasmonics and sensing. First, an initial 5-11 nm thick shell is grown onto the UCNPs in a reverse microemulsion. This is followed by a stepwise growth of these particles without a purification step, where in each step equal volumes of tetraethyl orthosilicate and ammonia water are added, while the volumes of cyclohexane and the surfactant Igepal® CO-520 are increased so that the ammonia water and surfactant concentrations remain constant. Hence, the number of micelles stays constant, and their size is inc

SUBMITTER: Kembuan C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6941407 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature