[[alternative]]Preparation of Fluorescent Silica Nanotubes and their Application in Gene Delivery

[[abstract]]The silica nanotubes have a number of advantages that make them potential candidate for biological applications. Firstly, nanotubes have inner voids that can be filled with species ranging in size from large proteins to small molecules. Secondly, nanotubes have distinct inner and outer surfaces that can be functionalized easily. By using template method, a large number of nanotubes were synthesized and their sizes were controlled preciously. Silica nanotubes were synthesized through a sol-gel reaction using the anodic aluminum oxide membrane (AAO) as a template. The fluorescent silica nanotubes were prepared by dopping water-soluble nanocrystal CdSe(ZnS). The fluorescent silica nanotubes were used to monitor the localization of nanotubes in living cells and found to be localized in the cytoplasm. The fluorescent silica nanotubes carrying the GFP gene were employed to investigate the potential application of the nanotubes in gene delivery. The expression of GFP demonstrates a new biological application of nanotubes as a biomolecule carrier.