Encapsulation of ZnO and Ho:ZnO Nanoparticles in the Core of Wrinkled Mesoporous Silica.

ABSTRACT

Wrinkled mesoporous silica (WMS) has a flower- or dendritic-like morphology, tunable pore size, and highly ordered and accessible three-dimensional (3D) pore structures. In this research, a method to encapsulate semiconductor nanoparticles in the core of the wrinkled mesoporous silica during synthesis is described. Highly uniform zinc oxide and holmium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized by a sonochemical method. Zinc oxide and holmium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles have been encapsulated in wrinkled mesoporous silica during synthesis. The ZnO@WMS and HoZnO@WMS particles have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence, dynamic light scattering (DLS), confocal microscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD).