Sonochemical preparation of silica nanorods for gene delivery using single-walled carbon nanotubes as templates

Silica nanorods were fabricated with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) via ultrasound. The diameter of the resulting SWCNT-silica particles ranged from 60 to 70 nm. The morphology of this composite material was investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The individual SWCNTs are uniformly coated with silica and formed a unique nanocomposite material. The important role of ultrasound and the mechanism of silica layer formation on SWCNTs were explained via the hydrolysis of the silica source and the adsorption of the siloxane groups on the SWCNT surfaces under ultrasound irradiation. The amino-functionalized silica nanorods were demonstrated as non-viral vectors for gene delivery.