Many new applications are being developed using silica nanoparticles for bioanalytical, biomedical or forensic applications where both surface and bulk properties of silica nanoparticles control the analytical process. Surface modified silica nanoparticles that are copolymerized with one or more types of small organic molecules, including fluorescent dyes can be synthesized relatively easily using a wide range of organic molecules, due to the wide availability of modified reactive TEOS analogues. These silica nanoparticles that are copolymerized with dye molecules can be utilized as bright fluorescence labels, sensors or for molecular recognition. In addition, covalently surface bonded moieties can be added to silica nanoparticles to modulate the surface behavior of the silica nanoparticles.
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