A novel kind of magnetic core/mesoporous silica shell microsphere was prepared based on the self-assembly method, while the surface area of the mesoporous silica microspheres could be tailored by the amount of C₁₈TMS. Thiol groups were introduced to the pore surface of the mesoporous silica based on a chemical modification. Via the interaction between the thiol groups and quantum dots (QDs), QDs were adsorbed into the pore channels of the mesoporous silica shell, and luminescent mesoporous silica microspheres were obtained. The pore sizes of the mesoporous silica could be estimated through the fluorescent spectra of the mesoporous silica microspheres embedded with QDs.

Key words: mesoporous silica microsphere, chemical modification, quantum dot