Table 1.
Characterization parameters from the mesoporous silica nanoparticles prepared before and after each functionalization step determined by nitrogen-adsorption–desorption isotherms and by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Surface areas (SBET) were determined by applying the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) model. Content of safranin O, functional linker, and corresponding ruthenium complexes (αdye, αlinker and αRC) were obtained by thermogravimetric analysis. Pore volumes (Pore vol.) and pore sizes were estimated by Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) model. Hydrodynamic diameters (HD) were obtained as average intensity values from at least three independent measurements.
| Sample |
SBET m2/g |
Pore vol.BJH cm3/g |
Pore sizeBJH nm |
HD[b] (PDI) nm |
αdye mmol/gsilica |
αlinker mmol/gsilica |
αRC mmol/gsilica |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSN-0 | 836 | 0.67 | 3.96 | 126 ± 33 (0.069) |
- | - | - |
| MSN1-NCO | 163 | 0.31 | - | 121 ± 28 (0.290) |
0.478 | 1.070 | - |
| MSN2-Py | 218 | 0.37 | - | 121 ± 30 (0.146) |
0.401 | 0.591 | - |
| MSN1-RC1 | 105 | 0.26 | - | 193 ± 61 (0.309) |
0.251 | 0.175 | 0.093 |
| MSN2-RC2 | 100 | 0.35 | - | 187 ± 107 (0.205) |
0.198 | 0.399 | 0.080 |