title: Luminescent chemosensors based on silica nanoparticles.
abstract: The field of nanoparticles is amazingly many-sided and consequently their applications range between many different areas from industry to bio-analysis and catalysis. In particular, luminescent nanoparticles attract close attention in the areas of biology, medical diagnosis and therapy, where they already find many applications. In this so fascinating and wide framework we have focussed our attention on luminescent silica nanoparticles able to act as sensing materials. We highlight here the importance, especially with the aim of sensing, of gaining precise knowledge and control of their structures; the performance of a chemosensor is, in fact, totally dependent on its design. We then briefly present the state of the art and the progress both in the synthetic protocols and in the application of luminescent silica nanoparticles as chemosensors. We present many recent examples, organized into two main sections, the first dealing with systems presenting the signalling units on the surface (dye coated silica nanoparticles, DCSNs) and the second with systems entrapping the dyes inside the silica matrix (dye doped silica nanoparticles, DDSNs).
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica "G. Ciamician", Latemar Unit, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonacchi
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Genovese
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Juris
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montalti
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prodi
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rampazzo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sgarzi
authors.forename: Nelsi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zaccheroni
mesh_terms: D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012822:Silicon Dioxide