FLUORESCENT NANOCRYSTALS ENCAPSULATED IN AN INORGANIC SHELL

摘要

The present invention relates to a method of preparing hybrid organo/mineral nanoparticles comprising an organic fluorescent crystalline core encapsulated in an inorganic shell, and to nanoparticles that can be obtained by said method. The method of the present invention comprises the following steps: (i) a sol-gel mixture able to be obtained by a process comprising the addition, in at least one organic solvent, in the presence of water, of a fluorescent organic compound and at least one metal alkoxide is sprayed; (ii) the sprayed sol-gel mixture is dried, by evaporating the solvent and the water that are present in the sol-gel mixture. The nanoparticles of the present invention can be used for example as a tracer in medical imaging or as a chemical sensor.