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Monodisperse and water-soluble lanthanide (Ln3+)-doped Y(Gd)VO4 nanocrystals (NCs) have been successfully synthesized by a fast, facile, and environmentally friendly microwave-assisted route with poly(acrylic acid) as the surfactant. The Y(Gd)VO4:5 %Ln3+ (Ln = Eu, Dy, Sm) NCs have unique fluorescence properties and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based white solid nanocomposites containing YVO4:5 %Eu3+ NCs show red emission upon UV irradiation. GdVO4 NCs can act as CT and MRI contrast agents as a result of their magnetic and X-ray absorption properties. A layer of SiO2 was coated onto the surfaces of the nanoparticles and MTT assays were carried out to test the cytotoxicity of the YVO4@SiO2 and GdVO4 NCs. The results indicate that the Y(Gd)VO4 NCs have potential in multimodal optical/MRI/CT bio-imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium silicate double-walled hollow nanofibers (MSHNFs) with a hierarchical nanostructure have been successfully fabricated by combining the electrospinning technique with a hydrothermal method. The as-prepared MSHNFs are composed of numerous ultrathin nanosheets with a thickness of approximately 10 nm and have a high specific surface area (632.2 m2 g−1) and large pore volume (0.92 cm3 g−1). The MSHNFs exhibit high adsorption capacity and excellent stability in a purification test with organic molecules and a solution of heavy-metal ions. Moreover, the MSHNFs can be easily separated from solution by gravitational sedimentation owing to their unique structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]