TPAOH assisted size-tunable Gd 2 O 3 @mSi core-shell nanostructures for multifunctional biomedical applications.

We report a facile and large-scale synthesis of size-tunable and nontoxic mesoporous silica-coated Gd2 O3 :Eu3+ (Gd@mSi) core-shell nanostructures using a TPAOH assisted modified UHP technique. The role of TPAOH in controlling the particle size was evaluated. The potentiality of these Gd@mSi core-shell nanoparticles before and after folic acid conjugation was established by in vitro fluorescence microscopy of the U2OS cell lines for cancer imaging and therapy.