Gd2O3:Eu3+@mesoporous SiO2 bifunctional core–shell composites: Fluorescence label and drug release

Abstract A novel kind of core–shell nanocomposite Gd 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ @mesoporous SiO 2 was successfully fabricated, which consisted of a solvothermal synthesized Gd 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ nanospheres core, a thin nonporous silica midterm layer and an ordered mesoporous silica shell. The XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, N 2 adsorption/desorption and PL spectra were employed to characterize the composites. The cytotoxicity of Gd 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ @mesoporous SiO 2 and Gd 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ was assessed by the standard MTT assay. The composites had spherically monodisperse morphology and a narrow size distribution around 180 nm in diameter. Furthermore, they also demonstrated the strong photoluminescence of 5 D 0 – 7 F J emissions. In addition, the composites exhibited good property of sustained drug release by using ibuprofen (IBU) as model drug in the drug delivery process. Therefore, the drug release process could be easily tracked and identified through photoluminescence. Overall, the present composites have potential significant biomedical application as ideal bifunctional materials.