Synthesis and characterization of the tellurium/calcium silicate nanocomposite

A novel tellurium/calcium silicate nanocomposite with tellurium nanorods homogeneously dispersed in the calcium silicate matrix has been successfully synthesized using corresponding tellurium nanorods, Ca(NO3)(2)center dot 4H(2)O, and Na2SiO3 center dot 9H(2)O in ethanol/water mixed solvents at room temperature for 48 h. The new material consists of a single crystalline Te core and an amorphous calcium silicate shell. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The method is simple and does not need any surfactant or template or base. Cytotoxicity experiments indicated that the tellurium/calcium silicate nanocomposites with a low concentration had good biocompatibility. This nanocomposite is a very promising candidate for the application as bioactive materials. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.