Core/shell microspheres with functional Mn -doped ZnS microspheres ( ZnS : Mn ) as core and with nanosilica particles as shell were prepared by a combination of sol–gel and self-templating techniques. The characteristic of this novel method was that the whole process required neither additional surfactant nor stabilizer, which exempted from removing the template and reduced reaction steps compared to the conventional process. The morphologies, structure and particle size distribution of the resulting ZnS : Mn / SiO 2 microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), respectively. Surface chemical composition and optical properties were determined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, respectively. In addition, the effects of reaction conditions on the structure and morphologies were investigated. Experimental results indicated that the resulting ZnS : Mn / SiO 2 microspheres were perfectly spherical with distinct core/shell structures, and exhibited stronger fluorescence emission.
Tuning sol-gel GeO2 and core-shell GeO2-SiO2 reaction conditions to optimize particle properties for use in 3D printing glass optics