Dusty-Plasma-Assisted Synthesis of Silica Nanoparticles for in Situ Surface Modification of 3D-Printed Polymer Scaffolds

We report a rapid and easy method for the synthesis of silica nanoparticles (SiNps) from a liquid precursor. Specifically, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a very small amount of a liquid precursor, tetraethoxysilane (300 μL), for a very short exposure time (5 min) resulted in the generation of dusty plasma of SiNps with a narrow size distribution. The prepared SiNps were systematically characterized with various analytical techniques. Furthermore, this method was found to modify the surface of the 3D-printed polyester scaffold with SiNps in a very quick and efficient manner.