In vivo doped biosilica from living Thalassiosira weissflogii diatoms with a triethoxysilyl functionalized red emitting fluorophore (original) (raw)

MRS Advances, 2018

Abstract

ABSTRACTDiatoms microalgae represent a natural source of highly porous biosilica shells (frustules) with promising applications in a wide range of technological fields. Functionalization of diatoms’ frustules with tailored luminescent molecules can be envisaged as a convenient, scalable biotechnological route to new light emitting silica nanostructured materials. Here we report a straightforward protocol for the in vivo modification of Thalassiosira weissflogii diatoms’ frustules with a red emitting organic dye based on thienyl, benzothiadiazolyl and phenyl units. The metabolic insertion of the dye molecules into the diatoms shells, combined with an acidic-oxidative isolation protocol of the resulting dye stained biosilica, represents a novel strategy to develop highly porous luminescent biosilica nanostructures with promising applications in photonics.

Stefania Cicco hasn't uploaded this paper.

Let Stefania know you want this paper to be uploaded.

Ask for this paper to be uploaded.