FLUORESCENT SILICA-BASED NANOPARTICLE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a novel fluorescent silica-based nanoparticle.SOLUTION: Provided generally are fluorescent nanoparticles and more particularly are silica-based fluorescent nanoparticles of less than 30 nm with covalently attached organic dyes. The invention provides a fluorescent monodisperse silica nanoparticle comprising fluorophore center core and a silica shell. The radiative properties of the nanoparticle are dependent upon the chemistry (composition) of the core and presence of the silica shell. The invention generally provides control of photophysical properties of dye molecules encapsulated within silica particles with sizes down to 30 nm and below. The control is accomplished through changes in silica chemistry and particle architecture on the nanometer size scale and results in significant brightness enhancement compared to free dye.