Fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticles: towards "Lab on a Particle" architectures for nanobiotechnology.
Novel nanoscale fluorescent materials are integral to the progress of emergent fields such as nanobiotechnology and facilitate new research in a variety of contexts. Sol-gel derived silica is an excellent host material for creating fluorescent nanoparticles by the inclusion of covalently-bound organic dyes. Significant enhancements in the brightness and stability of organic dye emission can be achieved for silica-based core-shell nanoparticle architectures at length scales down to tens of nanometers with narrow size distributions. This tutorial review will highlight these findings and describe the evolution of the fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticle concept towards integration of multiple functionalities including mesoporosity, metal nanoshells and quantitative chemical sensing. These developments point towards the development of "lab on a particle" architectures with promising prospects for nanobiotechnology, drug development and beyond.
Burns
Andrew
A
Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Ow
Hooisweng
H
Wiesner
Ulrich
U
D000818:Animals; D001709:Biotechnology; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
D003102:Colloids; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012822:Silicon Dioxide