The photocatalytic coatings were prepared via incorporating the modified titania nanoparticles into epoxy-based inorganic-organic hybrid coatings. Titania nanoparticles were first synthesized from tetra-n-butyl titanate using sol-gel methods by two different calcination treatments, i.e., in mild condition (80°C) and 500°C. The formed anatase nanoparticles were further modified as Titania-Silica...

In this thesis, a generic method was developed for surface modification of nanoparticles (NP) with silica shell using Stöber method. Nanoparticles synthesized from nonhydrolytic solvents such as various ethers were first surface activated with a silane-based poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Because of the amphiphilicity of PEG moiety, these nanoparticles could be easily transferred from hydrophobic...

Polystyrene-silica core-shell composite particles are prepared by one-step emulsion polymerization with a nonionic initiator VA-086, solely stabilized by silica nanoparticles. The silica nanoparticles are successfully incorporated as the shell, likely due to the fact that the nanoparticles are thermodynamically favorable to adsorb and remain at the liquid-liquid interfaces during the emulsion p...

The mechanical properties of polymer composites, reinforced with silica-coated multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), have been studied using the nanoindentation technique. The hardness and the Young's modulus have been found to increase strongly with the increasing content of these nanotubes in the polymer matrix. Similar experiments conducted on thin films containing MWNTs, but without a silica ...

Silica nanoparticles with a narrow particle size distribution and controlled diameters of 10-20 nm are synthesized via hydrolysis and hydrothermal aging of tetraethylorthosilicate in an aqueous L-lysine solution. Cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) reveals that the silica nanoparticles assemble to form close-packed nanoparticle crystals over short length scales on carbon-coated gri...

The coating of solid surfaces with inorganic materials is a promising approach not only to impart various functionalities but also to modify physicochemical properties that are affected by the geometry/structure of the coating. In this study, a silica-hexadecyltrimethylammonium (silica-CTA) hybrid layer was deposited on monodispersed spherical particles composed of titania and octadecylamine (t...

Au from Au–Ag core–shell nanoparticles act as multimodal Gold-speckled silica nanoparticles as contrast agents for noninvasive imaging with magnetic resonance imaging, computer tomography and photoacoustic tomography. These Au nanopeanuts can be prepared in a simple one-pot synthesis using nonionic microemulsions. These nanoparticles can be made useful for magnetic resonance contrast (provided ...

The shell wall-functionalized siliceous hollow nanospheres (SHNs) with functional molecules represent an important class of nanocarriers for a rich range of potential applications. Herein, a self-templated approach has been developed for the synthesis of in situ functionalized SHNs, in which the biocompatible long-chain polycarboxylates (i.e., polyacrylate, polyaspartate, gelatin) provide the f...

In this paper, we reported a new simple and effective method, osmotic membrane-assisted self-assembly, for fabricating massive interconnected macroporous silica monolith as catalyst supports. Using the method, we can prepare massive interconnected macroporous silica monolith with homogeneous structures beyond millimeter scale one time. Typically, silica/polystyrene and polystyrene/poly 4-vinyl ...

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) and iron oxide nanoparticles doped silica nanospheres were prepared by a multistep method. Iron oxide nanoparticles were first coated with silica and then modified with amino group. Thereafter, CdTe nanoparticles were assembled on the particle surfaces by their strong interaction with amino group. Finally, an outer silica shell was deposited. The final products were cha...