Page 463 - e-Book

appliances [5]. New era of imaging technology includes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),

photon avalanche (PA), and computed tomography (CT) which are essential machines of a
health center to be used for proper monitoring of patients [6]. In such devices, a good quality

emitter is needed comprises of rare earth oxide nanoparticles as well sensor to detect minute
signals. In this direction, samarium doped silica nanopowder entails sufficient fluorescence

with other unique properties as like; well-defined composition, structure, crystallinity and
morphology, etc [7-8]. These optical and structural findings help us to use this type of

nanomaterials in biomedical applications like theragnostic of diseases, drug delivery,

mechanical therapy and bioimaging [9-10]. Despite, in last 25 years, there are many obstacles
faced by researchers to fulfill the requirements like facile synthesis, surface modification,

better stabilization and low toxicity. However, sol-gel is supposed as best suited method to

synthesized samarium oxide nanopowder owed to better homogeneity, easy, simple and cost-
effective method.

In this current research work, samarium oxide nanoparticles incorporated in silica have
emerged favorable applicant since it keeps lesser toxicity, and higher selectivity and stability

by sol-gel method. Although samarium oxide nanocrystallites has many unique properties, it
would be suitable for other important applications of physical and biological science.

MATERIALS, SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATIONS:

Reagents
Analytical grade of Sm (NO3)2.6H2O, double distilled filter water made aqueous solution

with catalysis of hydrochloric acid (HCl), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) from Sigma Aldrich
with purity > 98%, spectroscopic grade of ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH with 99.8%), and nitric

acid (HNO3) and used as arrived.

Method of Synthesis
In current research work, we have adopted the method of bottom-up approach i.e., Sol-gel for

synthesized samarium doped silica nanopowder. Sol is made ready via TEOS, ethanol,
samarium nitrate hexahydrate, and double distilled water having ratio of 1:0.5:0.3:0.03 for

H2O:C2H5OH: HCl:TEOS. One solution has been prepared with mixture of TEOS and ethyl

alcohol. The other solution is made by dissolving samarium nitrate hexahydrate in nitric acid.
Then, both the solutions are added and hydrolysis has initiated by HCl and double distilled

water taken in a burette. Hydrolysis reaction took place up to 3.5 hours by vigorous stirring
at normal temperature till the point of ‘sol’ occurred. The sol was left as it is for aging that is

soak up for few days and important contracting phenomenon happened. After aging process,
prepared sample was dried in air oven for 5 days at 80℃-110℃ to produce as-groomed

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