A facile strategy was developed here to prepare cross-linked polymeric nanocapsules (CP nanocapsules) with silica nanoparticles as templates. The silica nanoparticle@cross-linked polymer nanoparticles were prepared by the encapsulation of the silica nanoparticles by the one-pot approach via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of hydroxyethyl acrylate in the presence of N,N'-m...

This paper reports a systematic investigation of the growth and attachment of small gold nanoparticles to the functionalized surfaces of larger silica nanoparticles. Dilution of the gold nanoparticles in mixtures of water and ethanol led to the self-assembly of gold nanoparticles in aggregates of regular size and shape attached to the surfaces of the silica nanoparticles. Functionalization of t...

An experimental study was performed to understand the ability of highly charged nanoparticles to stabilize a dispersion of weakly charged microspheres. The experiments involved adding either anionic (sulfate) or cationic (amidine) latex nanoparticles to dispersions of micrometer-sized silica particles near the silica isoelectric point (IEP). Although both types of nanoparticles increased the ze...

Silica nanoparticles have become promising carriers for drug delivery or gene therapy. Endothelial cells could be directly exposed to silica nanoparticles by intravenous administration. However, the underlying toxic effect mechanisms of silica nanoparticles on endothelial cells are still poorly understood. In order to clarify the cytotoxicity of endothelial cells induced by silica nanoparticles...

Low-temperature solution processible and solventless silica-epoxy hybrid materials composed of organically modified silica nanoparticles and epoxy monomers were successfully fabricated through simple sol-gel process and solvent evaporation. These silica-epoxy hybrid materials exhibited the homogeneous dispersion without any phase separation, aggregation, and gelation in the solventless environm...

Silica nanoparticles with a narrow particle size distribution and controlled diameters of 10-20 nm are synthesized via hydrolysis and hydrothermal aging of tetraethylorthosilicate in an aqueous L-lysine solution. Cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) reveals that the silica nanoparticles assemble to form close-packed nanoparticle crystals over short length scales on carbon-coated gri...

Rare earth metal doped silica nanoparticles have significant advantages over traditional organic dyes and quantum dots. Silsesquioxanes are promising precursors in the production of silica nanoparticles by thermolysis, due to their structural similarities with silica materials. This manuscript describes the production of a new Eu3+-based metallasilsesquioxane species and its use as a single sou...

We report a room-temperature photoinitiated polymerization-induced self-assembly (photo-PISA) of 2hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) in the presence of silica nanoparticles using a poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether (mPEG) macromolecular chain transfer agent (macro-CTA). Hybrid vesicles loaded with silica nanoparticles were obtained by this one-pot approach. The solids content of the polymer ves...

Silica nanoparticles linked through ionic liquid-like molecules are synthesized by two routes. The first approach utilized a bis(trialkoxysilyl)-substituted imidazolium iodide to link the silica nanoparticles. In the second approach, the silica nanoparticles were first modified by 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane and N-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)imidazole and then coupled through nucleophilic subst...

The present study aims to develop zirconia-Silica sand nanoparticles composites through powder processing route and to study the physical properties, mechanical properties and microstructure of the composites. Zirconia based silica sand nanoparticles composite with 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt.% were developed through powder processing technique and sintered at 1500°C for two hours. A decreasing trend o...