Metal nanoshells consists of a dielectric core surrounded by a thin noble metal shell, possess unique optical properties that render nanoshells attractive for use in different technologies. This paper reports a facile method for growth of small gold nanoparticles on the functionalized surface of larger silica nanoparticles. Mono-dispersed silica particles and gold nanoparticles were prepared by...

The electronic and optical natures of silica-coated semiconductor nanocrystals (Cd(2)Te(2)@(SiO(2))(24)) have been investigated by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations. The calculated results of Cd(2)Te(2)@(SiO(2))(24) have revealed that the structural synergy effect between the Cd(2)Te(2) quantum dots (QDs) and the silica coating shell plays a dominant role in th...

Background: Multifunctional core-shell magnetic nanocomposite particles with tunable characteristics have been paid much attention for biomedical applications in recent years. A rational design and suitable preparation method must be employed to be able to exploit attractive properties of magnetic nanocomposite particles. Objectives: Herein, we report on a simple approach for the synthesis of m...

In this study, we synthesized monodispersed polystyrene (PS)-silica core-shell spheres with various shell thicknesses for the fabrication of photonic crystals. The shell thickness of the spheres was controlled by various additions of tetraethyl orthosilicate during the shell growth process. The shrinkage ratio of the inverse opal photonic crystals prepared from the core-shell spheres was signif...

We present the preparation and the characterization of the solution behavior and functional properties of superparamagnetic and/or fluorescent, thermo-responsive inorganic/organic hybrid particles with an intermediate protective silica shell and a smart polymer corona. These well-defined multifunctional nanogels were prepared via two consecutive encapsulation processes of superparamagnetic Fe(2...

Metal nanoshells consists of a dielectric core surrounded by a thin noble metal shell, possess unique optical properties, which render nanoshells attractive for use in different technologies. This paper reports a facile method for growth of small gold nanoparticles on the functionalized surface of larger silica nanoparticles. Mono-dispersed silica particles and gold nanoparticles were prepared ...

Hollow hard shell particles of 200 nm and 2 micron diameter with a 10 nm thick porous silica shell have been synthesized using polystyrene templates and a sol-gel process. The template ensures than the hollow particles are monodispersed, while the charged silica surface ensures that they remain suspended in solution for weeks. When filled with perfluorocarbon gas, the particles behave as an eff...

Core-shell polystyrene-silica spheres with diameters of 800 nm and 1.9 microm were synthesized by soap-free emulsion and dispersion polymerization of the polystyrene core, respectively. The polystyrene spheres were used as templates for the synthesis of silica shells of tunable thickness employing the Stöber method [Graf et al. Langmuir 2003, 19, 6693]. The polystyrene template was removed by t...

Hollow mesoporous silica spheres have recently attracted increasing attention. However, effective synthesis of uniform hollow mesoporous spheres with controllable well-defined pore structures for fundamental research and practical applications has remained a significant challenge. In this work, a straightforward and effective "cationic surfactant assisted selective etching" synthetic strategy w...