PARIS — Researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) claimed they have developed a novel way to produce and characterize borosilicate glass nanoparticles, opening the door to new applications in biomedical, optical and electronic sectors.

According to the team of researchers, used in microfluidics systems, the Pyrex-like nanoparticles are more stable when subjected to temperature fluctuations and harsh chemical environments than nanoparticles made of polymers or silica glass.

Nanoparticles have attracted attention as potential transporters of antibodies, drugs or chemicals for use in diagnostic tests, targeted drug therapy, or for catalyzing chemical reactions.

However, it occurs that nanoparticles disintegrate or bunch together when exposed to high temperatures, certain chemicals or deionized water. Using borosilicate glass instead of silica glass or polymers, researchers noted, could help overcome such limitations.

So far, unfortunately, their fabrication was impossible because of the instability of the boron oxide precursor materials.

Professor Martin Gijs and his team of researchers from EPFL claimed they have defined a new procedure to fabricate and characterize borosilicate glass nanoparticles, generating new perspectives for nanoparticle applications