On the Structure of Amorphous Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles by Aberration-Corrected STEM.
Small
; 14(40): e1802180, 2018 Oct.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30260591
ABSTRACT
Mesoporous silica materials have demonstrated a vast spectrum of applications, stimulating an intensive field of study due to their potential use as nanocarriers. Nonetheless, when produced at the nanoscale, their structural characterization is hindered due to the re-arrangement of the pores. To address this issue, this work combines molecular dynamics simulations with electron microscopy computer simulations and experimental results to provide an insight into the structure of amorphous mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The amorphous silica model is prepared using a simple melt-quench molecular dynamics method, while the reconstruction of the mesoporous nanoparticles is carried out using a methodology to avoid false symmetry in the final model. Simulated scanning transmission electron microscopy images are compared with experimental images, revealing the existence of structural domains, created by the misalignment of the pores to compensate the surface tension of these spherical nanoparticles.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Small
Assunto da revista:
ENGENHARIA BIOMEDICA
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Portugal