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New Fluorescent Silicon Nanoparticles Discovered

Experts at the University of Leicester have been behind the find

Jul 1, 2009 09:52 GMT  ·  By
This is a suspension of nanoparticles in a quarz-glass cell exposed to ultraviolet light. The nanoparticles emit deep-blue fluorescence
   This is a suspension of nanoparticles in a quarz-glass cell exposed to ultraviolet light. The nanoparticles emit deep-blue fluorescence

Researchers at the University of Leicester Department of Physics and Astronomy have recently taken another step in developing a technology that would allow health experts to monitor the way in which molecules in, say, a vaccine spread through the human body after administration. Their new synthesis method has led them to the discovery of a new type of fluorescent silicon nanoparticles, which can be traced using existing observation techniques.

“A key advantage of the new method is the independent control of the nanoparticles' size and their surface properties. The method is extremely versatile and produces the fluorescent suspensions in one go. The findings may revolutionize the performance of electronic chips while satisfying the increasing demand for higher integration densities,” Dr. Klaus von Haeften, a researcher at the university who has been part of the team working on the project, explains about the new find.

Additionally, the team found that, by mixing the new nanoparticles with water, they could get stable luminescence for up to three months, which further enhances the range of possible applications for the particles. They measure only a couple of hundred silicon atoms from one end to the other, and producing them is not an intensely complex process. Moreover, the experts say, the particles have the potential to act as carriers for new generations of anti-cancer drugs, being able to take the drugs inside tumor cells with relative ease.

“Nanotechnology, that is, the use of structures whose dimensions are on the nanometer scale, to build new materials and devices, appears to hold the key to future developments in a wide range of technologies, including materials, science, information technology and healthcare,” Chris Binns, the leader of the research effort, and a Department of Physics and Astonomy professor of Nanoscience, adds. “The approach developed in Leicester could be a key step towards the production of a variety of biomedical sensors that could help track the uptake of drugs by cells,” von Haeften shares.