Development of new fluorescent silica and multifunctional nanoparticles for bio-imaging and diagnostics

Silica nanoparticles are effective fluorophore carriers with high potential in imaging, diagnostics, and therapy. The particles are resistant to drastic change of environmental conditions (pH, temperature etc. and insulate the dyes so as to protect them from photobleaching. Silica chemistry is also versatile and affords an easy modification of the particle composition and surface to integrate targeting ligands or to integrate other nanoparticles. Regardless of their advantages, there exists a lack of dye diversity in the literature that is connected to a low affinity for potential tools for biology and medicineThis thesis describes the development of an alternative method for the synthesis of fluorescent silica nanoparticles and their modification to incorporate iron oxide and gold. cont/d.