The present invention relates to silica hollow nanoparticles having inside their cavity a metal core consisting of inorganic nanostructures coated by a protective agent and agglomerated with a polymeric aggregating agent, useful in particular in medicine in the bio-imaging techniques and/or in the radio-therapeutic or chemo-therapeutic techniques; the invention moreover refers to a process for the preparation of such nanoparticles.

The present invention relates to silica hollow nanoparticles having inside their cavity a metal core consisting of inorganic nanostructures coated by a protective agent and agglomerated with a polymeric aggregating agent, useful in particular in medicine in the bio-imaging techniques and/or in the radio-therapeutic or chemo-therapeutic techniques; the invention moreover refers to a process for the preparation of such nanoparticles.

The present invention provides nanostructures for use in proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. The present invention also provides method of proliferating and differentiating neural stem cells.

The present invention provides nanostructures for use in proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. The present invention also provides method of proliferating and differentiating neural stem cells.

This invention relates to a method for emulsion templating hollow silica-based particles. The particles are suitable for containing one or more active ingredients or for containing other smaller particles which may include one or more active ingredients. The emulsion templated particles can be formed from two or more silanes. The emulsion templated particles can also be formed from a silane and a compound that attaches a polymer on the shell of the hollow silica-based particles.

This invention relates to a method for emulsion templating hollow silica-based particles. The particles are suitable for containing one or more active ingredients or for containing other smaller particles which may include one or more active ingredients. The emulsion templated particles can be formed from two or more silanes. The emulsion templated particles can also be formed from a silane and a compound that attaches a polymer on the shell of the hollow silica-based particles.

The present invention relates to the petroleum drilling fluid field, and discloses a modified silicon dioxide nano-particle comprising a modifying polymer chain composed of structural units provided by one or more of monomers represented by the following formula (1) and one or more of monomers represented by the following formula (2). The present invention provides a method for preparing modified silicon dioxide nano-particles and a drilling fluid suitable for shale gas wells containing the modified silicon dioxide nano-particles as a plugging agent. When the modified silicon dioxide nano-particles provided in the present invention are used as a plugging agent in a drilling fluid, they will not agglomerate into large-size particles, and can achieve a good plugging effect. ##STR00001##

The present invention provides aqueous chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) polishing compositions having a pH ranging from 2.5 to 5.3 and comprising a mixture of spherical colloidal silica particles and from 30 to 99 wt. %, based on the total weight of silica solids in the aqueous CMP polishing composition, of elongated, bent or nodular silica particles wherein the colloidal and elongated, bent or nodular silica particles differ from each other in weight average particle size (CPS) less than 20 nm, wherein at least one of the spherical colloidal silica particles and the elongated, bent or nodular silica particles contains one or more cationic nitrogen atoms. The present invention further provides methods of using the compositions in high downforce CMP polishing applications.

The present invention provides aqueous chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) polishing compositions having a pH ranging from 2.5 to 5.3 and comprising a mixture of spherical colloidal silica particles and from 30 to 99 wt. %, based on the total weight of silica solids in the aqueous CMP polishing composition, of elongated, bent or nodular silica particles wherein the colloidal and elongated, bent or nodular silica particles differ from each other in weight average particle size (CPS) less than 20 nm, wherein at least one of the spherical colloidal silica particles and the elongated, bent or nodular silica particles contains one or more cationic nitrogen atoms. The present invention further provides methods of using the compositions in high downforce CMP polishing applications.

Combustion apparatuses (e.g., burners) and methods, such as those configured to encourage mixing of fluid, flame stability, and synthesis of materials (e.g., nano-particles), among other things.