Silica particle size and polydispersity control from fundamental practical aspects of the Stöber method

Silica-based nanoparticles have been continuously investigated for their physical and chemical properties, which have made them adaptable for a wide range of scientific purposes, from adsorption in an aqueous medium to target-specific drug delivery in biological fluids. The achievement of these properties is, in general, possible by controlling the synthesis of the nanomaterial, and the Stöber method is one of the most commonly employed approaches for silica-based nanoparticles. In this study, experiments were carried out to investigate several parameters of the Stöber method for controlling the diameter and size dispersion of silica nanoparticles. The results of these experiments were supported by and contrasted with the theoretical aspects of silica particle nucleation and growth models. In this scenery, practical aspects of the Stöber Method such as the effects of variations in catalyst concentration, colloidal stability and drying approach on particle size and polydispersity were examined in detail for providing an organized basis of experimental and theoretical data about it for who aims at work with silica nanoparticle synthesis through the Stöber Method. [Display omitted]