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Silica encapsulation of luminescent silicon nanoparticles: stable and biocompatible nanohybrids

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Abstract

This article presents a process for surface coating and functionalization of luminescent silicon nanoparticles. The particles were coated with silica using a microemulsion process that was adapted to the fragile silicon nanoparticles. The as-produced core–shell particles have a mean diameter of 35 nm and exhibit the intrinsic photoluminescence of the silicon core. The silica layer protects the core from aqueous oxidation for several days, thus allowing the use of the nanoparticles for biological applications. The nanoparticles were further coated with amines and functionalized with polyethylene glycol chains and the toxicity of the particles has been evaluated at the different stages of the process. The core–shell nanoparticles exhibit no acute toxicity towards lung cells, which is promising for further development.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the European, ARC and CEA funding under the BONSAI and TIMOMA projects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DSM/IRAMIS/SPAM-LFP, CEA Saclay, Bat. 522, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

    Vincent Maurice, Julien Vincent, Cécile Reynaud & Nathalie Herlin-Boime

  2. Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMS), University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, 20052, Monza, Italy

    Ilaria Rivolta & Giuseppe Miserrochi

  3. Department of Nano Materials, NanoChemistry and NanoSafety Laboratory (DRT/LITEN/DTNM/LCSN), CEA Grenoble, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054, Grenoble Cedex 9, France

    Olivier Raccurt

  4. Laboratoire de Géologie, Ecole Normale supérieure de Paris, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France

    Jean-Noel Rouzaud

  5. Service de Chimie Bioorganique et de Marquage, iBiTecS, CEA, Bat. 547, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Eric Doris

Authors
  1. Vincent Maurice
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  2. Ilaria Rivolta
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  3. Julien Vincent
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  4. Olivier Raccurt
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  5. Jean-Noel Rouzaud
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  6. Giuseppe Miserrochi
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  8. Cécile Reynaud
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  9. Nathalie Herlin-Boime
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Correspondence to Nathalie Herlin-Boime.

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Maurice, V., Rivolta, I., Vincent, J. et al. Silica encapsulation of luminescent silicon nanoparticles: stable and biocompatible nanohybrids. J Nanopart Res 14, 697 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-011-0697-0

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