ABSTRACT
Aphosphorbasedonsilicananoparticleswaspreparedusingasol-gelmethod.Thecontrollable synthesis, spectroscopic properties, cytotoxicity and cell imaging of these nanomatericals were examined by using photoluminescence spectra, TEM, XRD, confocal microscopy and other characterized measurements. The results demonstrated that the obtained sample was silica with diameter about 50 nm. The maximum fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths of the silica nanomatericals were 280 nm and 335 nm, and the maximum phosphorescence excitation and emission wavelengths of the silica nanomatericals were 280 nm and 440 nm. The obtained silica sample possessed room temperature phosphorescence that was stable against environmental changes. The obtained sample was stored in air at ambient conditions and its phosphorescence remained unchanged after 3 month demonstrated its long-term stability. The result of methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium ( MTT) and cell imaging experiments suggested that the synthesized silica nanoparticles were feeble cytotoxicity and could be uptaken by cells at the lysosomal compartment. Therefore these nanoparticles could serve as bioprobes for cell imaging.