Recent Progress on the Preparation of Luminescent Silicon Nanoparticles for Bio-Imaging Applications

Luminescent silicon nanoparticles particles produced by laser pyrolysis are considered as possible alternative to replace toxic Quantum Dot in bioimaging applications. However, these nanoparticles are fully oxidized when kept in water, therefore, the luminescent silicon core must be be protected from oxidation. The Si nanoparticles were embedded in monodisperse silica beads (similar to 50 nm) produced in microemulsion. The silica beads provide protection of the silicon core and allow stability of the photoluminescence over time. They are well dispersed in water and biological medium with a colloidal stability of several days.