To improve the photoluminescence and long-term stability of the Y2O2S:Eu3+ phosphor, surface coatings with silica nanoparticles and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-silica nanocomposites were performed via four different techniques. Phosphors were coated with nearly monodispersed silica nanoparticles (5 nm) by a dip-coating method and a sol−gel method (Stöber method). To fabricate the silica nanopariticles used for the phosphor coating, hydrolysis and condensation reactions for the formation of silica nanoparticles, and radical polymerization for the formation of poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) were performed simultaneously. Phosphors were coated with PMMA-silica nanocomposites by using two different methods: by reacting silica nanoparticles and methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer and by reacting mixtures containing MMA and tetraethylorthosilicate. Between these methods, the latter method exhibited the greatest enhancement of photoluminescence and long-term stability of the phosphors. When phosphors were coated with PMMA-silica nanocomposite by the second method, the PL intensity of Y2O2S:Eu3+ was enhanced approximately 5% over that of the uncoated phosphors. In contrast to a decrease in cathode luminescence (CL) intensity with increasing bombardment time for uncoated phosphor, a nearly constant CL intensity was observed for the phosphors coated with PMMA-silica nanocomposite by the latter method.
To fabricate dental nanocomposites containing finely dispersed silica nanoparticles, nearly monodispersed silica nanoparticles smaller than 25 nm were synthesized without forming any aggregates via a modified solgel process. Since silica nanoparticles synthesized by the Stober method formed aggregates when the particle size is smaller than 25 nm, the synthetic method was modified by changing the reaction temperature and adding poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone) (PVP) to the reaction mixture. The size of the formed silica nanoparticles was reduced by increasing the reaction temperature or adding PVP. Furthermore, the formation of aggregates with primary silica nanoparticles smaller than 25 nm was prevented by increasing the amount of PVP added to the reaction mixture. To enhance the dispersion of the silica particles in an organic matrix, the synthesized silica nanoparticles were treated with 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MPS). A dental nanocomposite containing finely dispersed silica nanoparticles could be produced by using the surface-treated silica nanoparticles.
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