Silica Matrix Research Articles

Mesoporous Silica Particle as an RNA Adsorbent for Facile Purification of In Vitro-Transcribed RNA.

Messenger RNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 hold great promise for the treatment of a wide range of diseases by using mRNA as a tool for generating vaccination antigens as well as therapeutic proteins in vivo. Increasing interest in mRNA preparation warrants reliable methods for in vitro transcription (IVT) of mRNA, which must entail the elimination of surplus side products such as immunogenic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). We developed a facile method for the removal of dsRNA from in vitro transcribed RNA with mesoporous silica particles as RNA adsorbents. Various polyamines were tested for the facilitation of RNA adsorption onto mesoporous silica particles in the chromatography. Among the polyamines tested for RNA adsorption, spermidine showed a superior capability of RNA binding to the silica matrix. Mesoporous silica-adsorbed RNA was readily desorbed with elution buffer containing either salt, EDTA, or urea, possibly by disrupting electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding between RNA and the silica matrix. Purification of IVT RNA was enabled with the adsorption of RNA to mesoporous silica in a spermidine-containing buffer and subsequent elution with EDTA. By differing EDTA concentration in the eluting buffer, we demonstrated that at least 80% of the dsRNA can be removed from the mesoporous silica-adsorbed RNA. When compared with the cellulose-based removal of dsRNA from IVT RNA, the mesoporous silica-based purification of IVT RNA using spermidine and EDTA in binding and elution, respectively, exhibited more effective removal of dsRNA contaminants from IVT RNA. Thus, mRNA purification with mesoporous silica particles as RNA adsorbents is applicable for the facile preparation of nonimmunogenic RNA suitable for in vivo uses.

Synthesis, thermal evolution and magnetic investigations of SBA-15 silica functionalized with anchored iron phosphonate molecules.

In the current work, we report on the synthesizing of a series of novel nanocomposite materials obtained by functionalizing the SBA-15 silica matrix with anchored iron phosphonate molecules and the following thermal treatment. The obtained results reveal the formation of a unique amorphic layer of Fe-based compounds on the surface of silica walls of SBA-15 channels as a result of the organic groups' decomposition after moderate thermal treatment. Due to their unique structure, represented in an active Fe-containing amorphous coating spread over a large surface area, these materials are of great interest for their potential applications in fields such as catalysis, adsorption, and non-linear optics. The obtained materials remain amorphous, preserving the SBA-15 mesoporous structure up to temperatures of approximately 800 °C, after which the partial melting of the silica backbone is observed with the simultaneous formation of nanocrystals inside the newly-formed glassy mass. All obtained materials were characterized using such techniques as thermogravimetry, transmission and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy mapping, Raman spectroscopy, N2sorption analysis, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and SQUID measurements.

Niobium pentoxide / silica nanocomposites with hierarchical pore structure as methylene blue and doxycycline adsorbent

Nanocomposites formed by niobium pentoxide dispersed in a silica matrix, with pores modulated by the addition of a soluble polymer (polyethylene glycol 10000), were calcined at different temperatures and applied to remove methylene blue (MB) and doxycycline (DOX) from water. The temperature of calcination changed the morphology of the niobium pentoxide nanoparticles inserted in the silica matrix and the textural characteristics of the nanocomposites, influencing their adsorption properties. The adsorption of the two contaminants used as models was sensitive to the pH variation of the solution, being optimal at pH 11 and 9 for the removal of MB and DOX, respectively. The effect of ionic strength corroborated by the zeta potential and FTIR analyses of the nanocomposite, before and after adsorption, showed that the adsorption of MB (exothermic process) is due only to electrostatic interaction, while the adsorption of DOX (endothermic process) is due to electrostatic and n-π interactions. Both removal processes were spontaneous. The use of the nanocomposites for the adsorption of the two contaminants is efficient and economical since they can be regenerated and reused.

Novel PEG6000-Silica-MWCNTs Shape-Stabilized Composite Phase-Change Materials (ssCPCMs) for Thermal-Energy Storage.

This paper describes the preparation of new PEG6000-silica-MWCNTs composites as shape-stabilized phase change materials (ssPCMs) for application in latent heat storage. An innovative method was employed to obtain the new organic-inorganic hybrid materials, in which both a part of the PEG chains, used as the phase change material, and a part of the hydroxyl functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-OH), used as thermo-conductive fillers, were covalently connected by newly formed urethane bonds to the in-situ-generated silica matrix. The study's main aim was to investigate the optimal amount of PEG6000 that can be added to the fixed sol-gel reaction mixture so that no leakage of PEG occurs after repeated heating-cooling cycles. The findings show that the optimum PEG6000/NCOTEOS molar ratio was 2/1 (~91.5% PEG6000), because both the connected and free PEG chains interacted strongly with the in-situ-generated silica matrix to form a shape-stabilized material while preserving high phase-transition enthalpies (~153 J/G). Morphological and structural findings obtained by SEM, X-ray and Raman techniques indicated a distribution of the silica component in the amorphous phase (~27% for the optimum composition) located among the crystalline lamellae built by the folded chains of the PEG component. This composite maintained good chemical stability after a 450-cycle thermal test and had a good storage efficiency (~84%).

ZnO@SiO2 Nanocapsules: Efficient Fluorescence for Latent Fingerprint Detection

AbstractAs advanced fingerprint powders, fluorescent materials generally provide high sensitivity and improved contrast on the pigments or patterned surface, with high resolution. In this study, ZnO nanoparticles are used as fluorescent materials and are homogeneously embedded into SiO2 matrix to prepare ZnO@SiO2 nanocapsules. Compared with conventional methods, ZnO@SiO2 nanocapsules are fabricated using the transparent ethanol solution of ZnO NPs and n‐Octyltriethoxysilane without any surfactants. Interestingly, a large number of ZnO NPs can be homogeneously embedded in the silica matrix, reducing the aggregation‐induced quenching effect. The maximum emission of the ZnO@SiO2 nanocapsules powder is located at 530 nm under 325 nm irradiation, and the photoluminescence intensity and the sensitivity of latent fingerprints development depend on the quantity of ZnO NPs in the composites. The prepared fluorescent ZnO@SiO2 nanocapsules show outstanding property applied as effective fluorescent eikonogens for the high‐sensitivity visualization of latent fingerprints on different porous and non‐porous substrates. It has been demonstrated that ZnO@SiO2 nanocapsules compounds combine the admirable adhesion of silica powders to fingerprint residues with the excellent photoluminescence properties of ZnO to form a promising light‐emitting material for fingerprint.

Hybrid Materials Based on ZnO Nanoparticles and Organo-Modified Silica Coatings as Eco-Friendly Anticorrosive Protection for Metallic Historic Artifacts

Cultural heritage metallic artifacts are often subjected to environmental factors that promote degradation through corrosion processes. Anticorrosion protection is needed both for the long-term preservation of outdoor monuments and the short-term conservation of archaeological artifacts. In this work, functional nanocoatings based on ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in a silica matrix are prepared as a replacement for a commercial Incralac lacquer. Facile sol–gel synthesis is employed for obtaining silica filmogenic materials, using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and 3-glycidyloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (GPTMS). Silica-based nanocomposite coatings, with and without ZnO NPs and benzotriazole (BTA) as anticorrosion agents, applied on copper coupons by brushing are characterized by using VIS and FTIR spectroscopy, SEM and AFM and compared to Incralac lacquer as reference materials. The optical and morphological properties of the proposed silica coatings are similar to the Incralac specimens. The protective effect against corrosion is investigated on the copper coupons as model metallic objects subjected to a corrosion test by using potentiodynamic polarization in a 3.5% NaCl solution at ambient temperature. The influence of the presence of BTA and ZnO NPs in both silica and Incralac coatings is studied, and the variations in the anticorrosive, morphological and optical properties with the concentration of ZnO NPs are evidenced. The presence of moderate concentrations of ZnO in both nanomaterials leads to changes in the color parameters slightly above the limit accepted in the field of cultural heritage (ΔE* 5.09 and 6.13), while a high ZnO concentration of 3% leads to higher values (ΔE* > 10). Regarding the anticorrosive effect, the silica-based coatings with ZnO and BTA present similar efficiencies to that of the Incralac reference material (corrosion rates in the range of 0.044–0.067 mm/year for silica coatings compared to 0.055 mm/year for Incralac).

Improvement of the Mechanical Properties of Silica Aerogels for Thermal Insulation Applications through a Combination of Aramid Nanofibres and Microfibres.

Reinforcement of silica aerogels, remarkable lightweight mesoporous materials with outstanding insulation performance, is still a challenging research topic. Among the strategies used to overcome their brittleness, one of the most effective is the manufacturing of aerogel composites with embedded fibres. In this work, the incorporation of nanofibres together with microfibres in a tetraethoxysilane-vinyltrimethoxysilane matrix is investigated for the first time for the development of novel aerogel nanocomposites. The nanofibres, synthesized from different aramid fibres, including Kevlar® pulp, Technora®, Teijinconex® and Twaron® fibres, were used in different combinations with microaramids and the resulting nanocomposites were thoroughly investigated for their physicochemical and thermomechanical features. The properties depended on the type and amount of the nano/microfibre used. While the microfibres exhibited low interaction with the silica matrix, the higher surface of the nanofibres ensured increased contact with the gel matrix. A low bulk density of 161 kg m-3 and thermal conductivity of 38.3 mW m-1 K-1 (Hot Disk®) was achieved when combining the nanofibres obtained from Kevlar® pulp with the Technora® or Teijinconex® long fibres. The nanofibres showed higher dispersion and random orientation and in combination with microfibres led to the improvement by a factor of three regarding the mechanical properties of the aerogel nanocomposites reinforced only with microfibres. The scale-up process of the samples and simulated tests of thermal cycling and vacuum outgassing successfully conducted indicate good compliance with space applications.

Investigation of LSPR Coupling Effects toward the Rational Design of CsxWO3–δ Based Solar NIR Filtering Coatings

AbstractThe optical range of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is extended into the infrared region, thanks to the development of highly doped semiconductor nanocrystals. Particularly, the near‐infrared (NIR) range holds a significant interest in managing solar radiation. However, practical applications necessitate the arrangement of particles, which is known to possibly impact their optical properties through LSPR coupling effects. How such coupling modifies the LSPR response in semiconductor hosts remains largely unexplored. In this study, a protocol for producing composite coatings composed of cesium‐doped tungsten bronze nanocrystals embedded in a silica matrix is presented. Achieving individual dispersion of nanocrystals is made possible through careful selection of a surface polyglycerol ligand exchange. This allows to tune the interparticle distance by adjusting the nanocrystal volume fraction in the composite. The findings demonstrate that LSPR coupling effects significantly influence the LSPR intensity of nanocrystals in the composite when the nanocrystal‐to‐nanocrystal distance matches their size. Beyond elucidating the LSPR coupling effect, this study provides insights into the potential use of Cs‐HTB nanocrystals for solar control applications. Through the optimization of morphology and film structure, remarkable selectivity is obtained in terms of maintaining good transparency in the visible range while achieving high absorption in the NIR.

Remote Activation of Enzyme Nanohybrids for Cancer Prodrug Therapy Controlled by Magnetic Heating.

Herein, we have developed nanohybrids (nHs) to remotely activate a therapeutic enzyme for its use in Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (DEPT). The coencapsulation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) using biomimetic silica as an entrapment matrix was optimized to obtain nanosized hybrids (∼150 nm) for remote activation of the therapeutic enzyme. HRP converts indole-3-acetic acid (3IAA) into peroxylated radicals, whereas MNPs respond to alternating magnetic fields (AMFs) becoming local hotspots. The AMF application triggered an increase in the bioconversion rate of HRP matching the activity displayed at the optimal temperature of the nHs (Topt = 50 °C) without altering the temperature of the reaction media. This showed that enzyme nanoactuation is possible with MNPs even if they are not covalently bound. After an extensive physicochemical/magnetic characterization, the spatial location of each component of the nH was deciphered, and an insulating role of the silica matrix was suggested as critical for introducing remote control over HRP. In vitro assays, using a human pancreatic cancer cell line (MIA PaCa-2), showed that only upon exposure to AMF and in the presence of the prodrug, the enzyme-loaded nHs triggered cell death. Moreover, in vivo experiments showed higher reductions in the tumor volume growth in those animals treated with nHs in the presence of 3IAA when exposed to AMF. Thus, this work demonstrates the feasibility of developing a spatiotemporally controlled DEPT strategy to overcome unwanted off-target effects.

Effect of ZnS nanoparticles on the spectroscopic transitions of Ho3+ ions in sol-gel silica matrix

ZnS NPs and Ho3+ co-doped silica matrices are prepared by room temperature sol-gel method. The fabricated matrices are characterized structurally by X-ray diffractometry, Transmission electron microscopy, Energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Structural studies reveal the presence of ZnS NPs in the Ho3+ co-doped silica matrices. Judd Ofelt analysis of UV–Visible absorption spectra shows that the phenomenological Judd Ofelt intensity parameters Ωt, which illustrate the intensities for transitions in lanthanides and actinides in solids as well as solutions follow the trend Ω2>Ω4>Ω6. Enhancement in the Ω2 parameter with ZnS NP concentration indicates higher asymmetry and a stronger covalent environment of Ho3+ ions in the studied matrix, compared to some popular hosts. The four distinct PL emission bands of Ho3+ observed in the studied matrices show a strong dependence on ZnS NP concentration, with 0.67 M of ZnS as the optimum concentration. The enhancement in the PL emissions with ZnS NPs is attributed to the network modification and sensitization of Ho3+ ions by the NPs. Sensitization through energy transfer also increases the lifetime of the excited state, as observed from the PL decay study. The decrease of PL emission beyond optimum ZnS concentration is most likely due to the self-quenching of ZnS NPs. The upconversion study shows enhancement in Ho3+ luminescence up to 14 times with ZnS co-doping; indicating the viability of the fabricated matrix for their application in UC devices as well.

Altering Mechanical Properties to Improve Electrode Contacts by Organic Modification of Silica-Based Ionogel Electrolytes for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a possible candidate to create safe, sustainable, and cost-effective batteries. Solid sodium-ion conducting organically modified ionogel electrolytes are investigated. Silica-based ionogels typically consist of an ionic liquid electrolyte (ILE) confined within a silica matrix and possess high thermal stability, good ionic conductivity, safety, and good electrochemical stability. However, they readily deteriorate when stress is applied, decreasing the electrolyte's and battery's overall performance. The mechanical characteristics of silica can be improved using organic moieties, creating Ormosils®. Silica-based ionogels with phenyl-modified silanes improve the mechanical characteristics by a reduction of their Young's modulus (from 29 to 6 MPa). This is beneficial to the charge-transfer resistance, which decreases after implementing the electrolyte in half cells, demonstrating the improved interfacial contact. Most importantly, the phenyl groups change the interacting species at the silica interface. Cationic imidazolium species pi-stacked to the phenyl groups of the silica matrix, pushing the anions to the bulk of the ILE, which affects the ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability, and might affect the quality of the SEI in half cells. In essence, the work at hand can be used as a directory to improve mechanical characteristics and modify and control functional properties of ionogel electrolytes.

Screening of Mono-, Di- and Trivalent Cationic Dopants for the Enhancement of Thermal Behavior, Kinetics, Structural, Morphological, Surface and Magnetic Properties of CoFe2O4-SiO2 Nanocomposites.

CoFe2O4 is a promising functional material for various applications. The impact of doping with different cations (Ag+, Na+, Ca2+, Cd2+, and La3+) on the structural, thermal, kinetics, morphological, surface, and magnetic properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized via the sol-gel method and calcined at 400, 700 and 1000 °C is investigated. The thermal behavior of reactants during the synthesis process reveals the formation of metallic succinates up to 200 °C and their decomposition into metal oxides that further react and form the ferrites. The rate constant of succinates' decomposition into ferrites calculated using the isotherms at 150, 200, 250, and 300 °C decrease with increasing temperature and depend on the doping cation. By calcination at low temperatures, single-phase ferrites with low crystallinity were observed, while at 1000 °C, the well-crystallized ferrites were accompanied by crystalline phases of the silica matrix (cristobalite and quartz). The atomic force microscopy images reveal spherical ferrite particles covered by an amorphous phase, the particle size, powder surface area, and coating thickness contingent on the doping ion and calcination temperature. The structural parameters estimated via X-ray diffraction (crystallite size, relative crystallinity, lattice parameter, unit cell volume, hopping length, density) and the magnetic parameters (saturation magnetization, remanent magnetization, magnetic moment per formula unit, coercivity, and anisotropy constant) depend on the doping ion and calcination temperature.

ZnS NPs enhanced Eu3+ photoluminescence in the sol-gel silica matrix

ZnS co-doped Eu3+ Silica matrices were fabricated by sol–gel route. The fabricated matrices were structurally characterized by XRD and EDX. Optical characterizations were performed by FTIR, UV–Vis Absorption as well as PL Spectroscopy. Structural characterizations show the presence of nanosized ZnS particles (ZnS NPs) embedded in the Eu3+ doped Silica matrix. The study reveals an enhancement in PL intensity with ZnS concentration owing to the structural modification of the Eu3+ environment in the host matrix as well as energy transfer from the ZnS NPs to Eu3+ ions. The observations are elucidated in the light of Judd Ofelt intensity parameters as well as radiative parameters.

Synthesis of Monodisperse Silica Particles by Controlled Regrowth

The development of a simple and reproducible method for the synthesis of monodisperse silica particles is of considerable interest from the point of view of their numerous applications in photonics, biosensing, and biomedicine. When using the well-known Stober method, there is a continuous formation and growth of seeds, which leads to the synthesis of polydisperse colloids. In this work, we used the method of successive growth of silica particles obtained by hydrolytic condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate in an alcoholic-aqueous medium using an alkaline catalyst. It is shown that this technique makes it possible to obtain colloids with a particle size from 50 nm to 3 μm and a standard deviation of less than 5%. An additional advantage of the developed method of stepwise growth is the possibility to include fluorophores and SERS tags into the silica matrix.

Large reciprocal magneto-optical effect induced by all-dielectric resonant gratings based on a magnetic nanocomposite

The beneficial combination of micro- and nano-patterned surfaces with magneto-optical materials was investigated over the recent years. Due to their resonant behavior, these structures are commonly used to enhance the non-reciprocal magneto-optical effects. In this paper, a novel kind of magneto-optical intensity effect is enhanced with an all-dielectric grating patterned on a magnetic nanocomposite layer. This nanocomposite is made of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in a silica matrix by sol–gel technique. The demonstrated magneto-optical intensity effect is reciprocal and it is observed with transverse magnetic field, for both polarization (TE and TM) and small angles of incidence. Such effect is not explained by the classical appearance of off-diagonal elements in the permittivity tensor of the magneto-optical material under magnetic field. However, it can be attributed to a magneto-induced reciprocal modification of the diagonal elements. Furthermore, this effect strongly depends on the NPs orientation inside the magneto-optical film and can originate from the magnetostrictive property of the magnetic CoFe2O4 NPs.

Box-Behnken Experimental Design for Electrochemical Aptasensor Optimization on Screen Printed Carbon Electrode/Silica-Ceria

This study aims to optimize the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) electrochemical aptasensor with the Box-Behnken experimental design. ENaC is a protein that plays a role in sodium ion transport in several epithelial tissues and is associated with hypertension. The ENaC protein aptamer is held in place in the electrochemical aptasensor by a modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) of silica-ceria composite (SiO2-CeO2). The unique structure of a silica matrix with high biocompatibility can form composites through a hydrothermal process. The Box-Behnken (BBD) experimental design is an efficient optimization method of factors that affect the experiment at three levels. The FTIR results of the silica-ceria composites were 549.35 cm-1 (Ce-O), 1095.3 cm-1 (Si-O-Si), and 491.28 cm-1 (Si-O). Meanwhile, SPCE/silica-ceria characterized by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) showed an increase in peak current [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- from 3.190 μA to 9.073 μA. Three experimental factors, aptamer concentration, streptavidin incubation time, and aptamer incubation time, were optimized with BBD and obtained at 0.5 μg.mL-1, 30 minutes, and 1 hour. The optimum conditions observed resulted in a selective current response for ENaC protein detection. The optimization results can be applied to aptamer-based ENaC protein detection in samples.

Immobilization of Tyrosinase and Its Application

Immobilized enzymes are more robust and resistant to environmental changes than free enzymes in solution. More crucially, the immobilized enzyme systems' heterogeneity enables facile recovery of enzymes and products, multiple reuses, continuous enzymatic processes, quick reaction termination, and a more comprehensive range of bioreactor designs. This paper examines recent findings on enzyme immobilization using diverse approaches for various uses. The information gathered from the reactions catalyzed by the encapsulated tyrosinase provided a good view of hetero-biocatalysts in the phenol biosensor industries. This review proposes an effective method for immobilizing tyrosinase biomolecules into a silica aerogel matrix. Silica matrix has been utilized to encapsulate a wide range of biomolecules, mainly in sol-gel composites. We also discovered that silica aerogel synthesized from sol-gel method retains all the immobilized enzyme activity. The use of a silica matrix for enzyme immobilization, in conjunction with a moderate immobilization method, results in the successful retention of enzyme activity. Future studies should explore practical encapsulating approaches and inventively modified supports to enhance the commercialization of immobilized enzymes and offer fresh perspectives to the industrial sector.

Toward highly effective loading of DNA in hydrogels for high-density and long-term information storage

Digital information, when converted into a DNA sequence, provides dense, stable, energy-efficient, and sustainable data storage. The most stable method for encapsulating DNA has been in an inorganic matrix of silica, iron oxide, or both, but are limited by low DNA uptake and complex recovery techniques. This study investigated a rationally designed thermally responsive functionally graded (TRFG) hydrogel as a simple and cost-effective method for storing DNA. The TRFG hydrogel shows high DNA uptake, long-term protection, and reusability due to nondestructive DNA extraction. The high loading capacity was achieved by directly absorbing DNA from the solution, which is then retained because of its interaction with a hyperbranched cationic polymer loaded into a negatively charged hydrogel matrix used as a support and because of its thermoresponsive nature, which allows DNA concentration within the hydrogel through multiple swelling/deswelling cycles. We were able to achieve a high DNA data density of 7.0 × 109 gigabytes per gram using a hydrogel-based system.

Conformation features and interaction of pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids immobilized with silicon dioxide: Infrared spectroscopy

Ionic liquids (ILs) based on pyrrolidinium cation, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMPyrrTFSI) and 1-butyl-1-methylpirrolidinium dicyanamide (BMPyrrN(CN)2), were incorporated into the silica matrix (SiO2, particle size about 80 nm) by a simple mixing procedure. Semitransparent phase-stable ionogels with an IL content of more than 90 wt% have been obtained and studied by FTIR spectroscopy. The analysis of microscopic mechanisms of interaction, in particular, hydrogen bonding, was carried out using the procedure of fitting the characteristic bands of pure and confined ILs. The observed changes in the position and intensity of some characteristic frequencies were interpreted in terms of the interaction of SiO2 with IL. Under confined condition, the cis–trans equilibrium of both the TFSI− anion and BMPyrr+ cation changes in favor of the trans population due to the predominant interaction of cis conformers with silica walls. This data for confined BMPyrr-based ionic liquids were obtained in our study for the first time and will be useful for designing of a new nanostructured hybrid materials with promising properties.

Efficient structural manipulation of PbS in Er-doped silica optical fibers for enhanced amplification systems

In active silica optical fibers, improving the solubility and uniformity of non-concentration-quenching luminescence centers is a key strategy to achieve high gain fiber amplifiers. Herein, we report a novel Er-doped silica optical fiber (EDF) modified by PbS semiconductor incorporation for the first time. Owing to the bridge role of PbS, Er2O3 nanofilms deposited on the substrate via atomic layer deposition (ALD) have porous and loosely layered network structures with an increasing number of ALD-PbS layers. Subsequently, during the high-temperature fiber preparation process, this loose porous structure aids the dissolution and provides an optimal local environment of Er3+ ions in the silica matrix. As a result, the maximum phonon energy of the silica network for PbS/Er co-doped silica optical fiber (PEDF) is reduced, resulting in an increase of the Er3+ ion fluorescence lifetime, approximately 11.455 ms. Furthermore, we achieved 34 dB maximum gain of PEDF sample with the lowest noise figure of 3.9 dB at 1.5 μm. The gain bandwidth over 20 dB of PEDF is approximately 46 nm, which is nearly 44% higher than that of EDF. These results indicate that the PEDF prepared by structural manipulation has great potentials in optical fiber amplifier and laser applications.