Synthesis of fluorophore-doped silica nanoparticles using stober method / Nurul Basyeerah Naharazmi

Fluorophore doped silica nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using
Stober method. In this method, temperature and curing time serve as constant
variable and the concentration of dye which is the mixture of fluoresceine,
APTES and water were taken as manipulated variable. The process include
cross linkage between isothiocyanate and amine group. Three experimental
trials were conducted with different concentration of dye. The particles formed
is then characterized by FTIR, DLS, XRD and fluorescence spectrometer. The
effect of concentration of dye on physical properties were analysed using
FTIR. The result shows there is an existence of silica, and carbonyl group
which indicate that the dye molecules are incorporated in silica nanoparticles.
All sample are detected to be fluorescence. Based on DLS result, the size of
silica nanoparticles is increased with the increase of dye concentration with the
smallest size is found to be at 340 nm. XRD pattern also show absence of
crystalline form, where broad peak at 22° defined amorphous state of silica.
The sol-gel parameters should be optimized in order to produce smaller
spherical silica nanoparticles suitable for future technology