“9.61x6.69” b2815 Tissue Engineering and Nanotheranostics
Magnetic Nanohybrids for Magnetic Resonance Imaging 115
for 3 h to obtain GdOF:Ln@SiO 2 yolk-like core–shell capsules. The core
is created because of the shrink of Gd(OH)x(CO 3 )yFz:Ln to GdOF:Ln
through the annealing process and the mesoporous mSiO 2 shell is
obtained from the elimination of CTAB. SEM and TEM pictures pro-
vide the justification for the proposed growth process shown in Fig. 8.
Additionally, mesoporous structures provide extra pores on the
surface which offer to absorb or store materials and functional groups.
The obtained GdOF:Ln@SiO 2 nanoparticles were further modified
with amine group to conjugate ZnPc photosynthesizer and then deco-
rated carbon dots on the surface of core–shell as shown in Fig. 9.
Figures 9(b) and 9(c) are the bright field TEM and STEM images of
the GdOF:Ln@mSiO 2 ZnPC-CDs. EDS spectra of elements also
showed good agreement with synthesized material and purity. The
EDS elemental mapping with respect to different materials (Fig. 9(d))
provided uniform dispersion and verification of the yolk-like core–shell
nanohybrids structure.
Fig. 8. Preparation of GdOf:Ln@SiO 2 and SEM and TEM images, (a1) and
(a2) Gd(OH)x(CO 3 )yFz:Ln, (b1) and (b2) Gd(OH)x(CO 3 )yFz:Ln@C, (c1) and (c2)
Gd(OH)x(CO 3 )yFz:Ln@C@mSiO 2 , and (d1) and (d2) GdOF:Ln@SiO 2. Reprinted
with permission from Ref. 54.^