Term Paper

2016/06/30

Colloid and Surface Chemistry

Reported by :
Widya Anggi Yulianda
104324605
Chemical & Materials Engineering

The journal, Core-shell SrTiO3: Yb3+, Er3+ @mSiO2 nanoparticles for controlled
and monitored doxorubicin delivery, by Binbin Li, Heng Liu, Chuanbin Sun, Zeeshan
Ahmad, Zhaohui Ren, Xiang Li, and Gaorong Han (2016) was written to investigate of
nano-carries with controllable and trackable drug release kinetics for new tumor
theranostic strategies with catabatic side effect. The researchers did and wrote that
problem based on a fact that multifunctional drug delivery system (DDS) with controlled
drug release behavior have received worldwide attention for tumor diagnosis and therapy,
generally, an ideal drug delivery system is expected to transport the desired drug
molecules to targeted tissues or cells, and release in controlled manner. To achieve this
goal, the monitoring and tracking of drug releasing phenomena in an external and in situ
way during the therapeutic process is needed.
In this paper, the researchers designed and synthesized a range of monodispersed
core-shell structure photoluminescent SrTiO3:Yb3+,Er3+ @mSiO2 nanoparticles. In this
study, a series nanoparticles (SrTiO3:Yb3+,Er3+ or STO:Yb3+,Er3+) were then coated with
mesoporous silica shell (STO:Yb3+,Er3+ @mSiO2). The superiority of this study is they
used material that never used before, in other word, this design and synthesize
nanoparticles as a novel drug delivery platform is the first time trial. To vary the
microstructure of mesoporous SiO2 shell, they used surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium
bromide (CTAB). Doxorubicin (DOX) known as well anti-cancer agent is used as the
model drug. Eventually, this paper want to prove whether this nanoparticle can be
adopted for clinical use and can be promising materials for novel drug delivery systems
possessing in situ and real-time tracking diagnosis and therapeutics. They studied about

effect of the shell microstructure on the DOX loading and releasing behaviors and the
variation of photoluminescent phenomenon during the DOX release progress.
The materials that used in this study included Strontium nitrate (Sr(NO3)2, A.R.),
sodium hydroxide (NaOH, A.R.), titanium chloride (TiCl 3, A.R.), cyclohexane (C6H12,
A.R.), phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS,
C.P.),

Oleic

acid

(C18H34O2,

A.R.),

sodium

oleate

(C17H33CO2Na,C.P.),

cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB, 99%), doxorubicin (DOX, 98%), erbium

nitratepentahydrate

(Er(NO3)3.5H2O,

99.9%)

and

ytterbium

nitratepentahydrate

(Yb(NO3)3.5H2O, 99.9%).
They used liquid-solid-solution (LSS) method for synthesis of STO: Yb3+,Er3+
nanoparticles (NPs) and used bi-metal and rare earth nitrate Re(NO 3)3 (Re=18% Yb + 2%
Er) precursors. In this paper, they used self-assembly process of CTAB and TEOS to
modify the surface of STO: Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles with mSiO2 shell as shown in figure
1.

Figure 1. Schematic illustration of synthetic route to STO: Yb3+,Er3+ @mSiO2

nanoparticles.
From the introduction of this paper, they explained all about issue regarding to this
field with give several previous study that similar with the topic. This paper also establish

why the researchers felt this study needed to be done. It is good to make reader more
understand about topic in their paper.
In the introduction part, they also explained what are the differences of all the
thing that related in that study such as the differences of conventional luminescent
materials and upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). They also explained about the
advantages of them. It can make reader deeply understand why the topic in their paper
have to be done. However, there doesnt appear to be any concrete guidelines for carrying
this out. In other words this sounds great on paper but it doesnt translate as easily to
everyday life.
There is not research in the traditional sense for this article, and the researchers or
authors do include many example of work written by those who have written on this
subject in the past and which have similar topic with this study. This is good, well-known
examples and authors and I think it adds a great deal credibility to the piece as a whole.
In addition, by putting the others example of filed correlated with this study, the
researcher can compare their study and also to make sure that their study is the first.
In the material and methods, they explained detail of all the experiment include
materials such as, physical properties of materials, where do they come from, etc., they
also explained how to synthesized of nanoparticle, what kind method they used, and also
they explained each part of their study with analysis of each section. By explaining all
this part detail, it can help the readers really understand and can imagine what is really
going on in that paper and good concept for how the problem of multiple system should
be handled.
The selection of method in this study is good and effective, they used the latest
method (self-assembly method). Self assembly method is a method where two
components or more of a system assemble themselves spontaneously via an interaction to
form a larger functional unit. The study of materials in the nanoscale is becoming
important due to the ability of assemble nanoparticles into well-define configuration in

space. By using self-assembly method and the condition in the fields of study are
optimized, self-assembly can be permanent and complete. In other word, self-assembly
method is suitable for this kind of study.
For result and discussion, they firstly explained about synthesis of STO: Yb3+,Er3+
@mSiO2 nanoperticles which is defided into two part that are structure and luminescent
property of nanoparticle and the forming of STO: Yb3+,Er3+ @mSiO2 core-shell
nanoparticles. The electron micrograph (FE-SEM) image and TEM image of spherical
STO:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles (NPs) is shown in Fig. 2.
a

Figure 2. (a)SEM image (b) TEM image of STO:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles

Based on figure 2a., they found that STO:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles synthesized
present uniform spherical geometry with relatively rough surface, this statement also
represent in TEM image (fig. 2b.), from that figure they found that nanoparticles present
as clusters assembly by fine nanoparticles, inducing its rough surface. Not only that, they
also explained about size distribution of nanoparticles, up-conversion luminescent (UCL)

spectra of the as-synthesized nanoparticle which is the key feature of synthesized

nanoparticles. Eventually, they explained the coated nanoparticle with mesoporous SiO 2
(mSiO2) shell for drug loading and releasing purpose.
By using XRD analyzer, they proved that the amorphous mesoporous silica shell
was successfully formed. No other impurities are observed, indicating that the rare earth
ions are successfully doped into the STO crytal lactice. And then, they analyzed and
explained which one kind of surfactant that are efficient for the synthesis of mesoporous
silica largely and found that cationic surfactant is efficient due to favorable silicate anion
interaction through Coulomb Force.
And then they also explained about drug loading properties and drug release and
its optical responses