Synthesis, luminescent and drug-release properties of SiO2@Y2O3:Eu hollow mesoporous microspheres

SiO2@Y2O3:Eu hollow mesoporous microspheres were prepared by coating luminescent Y2O3:Eu3+ particles onto uniform silica spheres using melamine formaldehyde microspheres as sacrificial templates. Various approaches including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, photoluminescence spectroscopy and N-2 adsorption/desorption were used to characterize the samples. The results indicate that Y2O3:Eu3+ particles have been coated onto the hollow silica spheres with 300 nm thickness shell, and the composite microspheres exhibit mesoporous characteristics and have spherical morphology. Upon ultraviolet excitation, the composite shows the characteristic D-5(0)-F-7(1-4) red emission lines of Eu3+ even after loading of the model drug. In addition, drug release tests suggest that the composite has a controlled drug release property with ibuprofen as the model drug.