Abstract
We report the room temperature synthesis of highly fluorescent, sub-40 nm aminated mesoporous silica nanoparticles in water using triethanolamine (TEA) as catalyst. Co-condensation reactions between silica precursors, i.e., tetraethoxysilane and 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane, allows the incorporation of amino moieties and conjugated fluorescent dye (tetramethylrhodamine-5(6)-isothiocyanate; TRITC) throughout the silica matrix. Resulting materials are characterized using a combination of transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen sorption measurements, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and solid-state 29Si-NMR spectroscopy. The TEA-catalyzed system leads to the formation of bright and discrete sub-40 nm aminated mesoporous silica nanoparticles with disordered pore structure and high organic content. Resulting nanomaterials may find use as simultaneous fluorescent probes and drug delivery vehicles in future theranostic applications.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Piao Y, Burns A, Kim J, Wiesner U, Hyeon T (2008) Adv Funct Mater 18:3745
Ying JY, Mehnert CP, Wong MS (1999) Angew Chem Int Ed 35:56
Beck JS, Vartuli JC, Roth WJ, Leonowicz ME, Kresge CT, Schmitt KD, Chu CTW, Olson DH, Sheppard EW, McCullen SB, Higgins JB, Schlenker JL (1992) J Am Chem Soc 114:10834
Kresge CT, Leonowicz ME, Roth WJ, Vartuli JC, Beck JS (1992) Nature 359:710
Yanagisawa T, Shimizu T, Kuroda K, Kato C (1990) Bull Chem Soc Jpn 63:988
He Q, Cui X, Cui F, GuoL, Shi J (2009) Microporous Mesoporous Mater 117:609
Lu F, Wu S, Hung Y, Mou C (2009) Small 5:1408
Huh S, Wiench JW, Yoo JC, Pruski M, Lin VSY (2003) Chem Mater 15:4247
Fowler CE, Khushalani D, Lebeau B, Mann S (2001) Adv Mater 13:649
Moller K, Kobler J, Bein T (2007) Adv Funct Mater 17:605
Moller K, Kobler J, Bein T (2007) J Mater Chem 17:624
Qiao Z, Zhang L, Guo M, Liu M, Huo Q (2009) Chem Mater 21:3823
Suzuki K, Ikari K, Imai H (2004) J Am Chem Soc 126:462
Urata C, Aoyama Y, Tonegawa A, Yamauchi Y, Kuroda K (2009) Chem Commun 34:5094
Kobler J, Moller K, Bein T (2008) ACS Nano 2:791
Gu J, Fan W, Shimojima A, Okubo T (2007) Small 3:1740
Lee C, Lo L, Mou C, Yang C (2008) Adv Funct Mater 18:1
Suteewong T, Sai H, Bradbury M, Estroff LA, Gruner SM, Wiesner U (2012) Chem Mater 24:3895
Suteewong T, Sai H, Cohen R, Wang S, Bradbury M, Baird B, Gruner SM, Wiesner U (2011) J Am Chem Soc 133:172
Brunauer S, Deming LS, Deming WE, Teller E (1940) J Am Chem Soc 62:1723
Barrett EP, Joyner LG, Halenda PP (1951) J Am Chem Soc 73:373
Larson DR, Ow H, Vishwasrao HD, Heikal AA, Wiesner U, Webb WW (2008) Chem Mater 20:2677
Ma K, Sai H, Wiesner U (2012) J Am Chem Soc 134:13180
Burleigh MC, Markowitz MA, Spector MS, Gaber BP (2001) Chem Mater 13:4760
Burleigh MC, Markowitz MA, Spector MS, Gaber BP (2001) J Phys Chem B 105:9935
Brinker CJ, Scherer GW (1990) Sol–gel science: the physics and chemistry of sol–gel processing. Academic Press, New York
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by The Experimental Therapeutics Center of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and by Mr. William H. Goodwin and Mrs. Alice Goodwin and the Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research. M.B. acknowledges support from a Research and Development award. K.M. acknowledges funding by the National Science Foundation (NSF MPS/DMR-1008125).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Suteewong, T., Ma, K., Drews, J.E. et al. Highly fluorescent sub 40-nm aminated mesoporous silica nanoparticles. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 74, 32–38 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-014-3567-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-014-3567-2