Silicate Platelets Research Articles

Transformation of Cu(OH)2 to mesostructural copper-silicate in alkaline silicate solution

Mesoporous materials with high surface area, tunable pore size, and large pore volume have applications in catalysis, adsorption, and optical devices. While the templating method has been used widely to synthesize these materials, removing the organic template leads to energy and chemical waste, and the emission of CO2 greenhouse gas. Here, a new non-organic templating method, based on structural transformation, is proposed to prepare mesostructural copper silicate with a high surface area (425 m2g-1) and large pore volume. This mesostructural transformation is already achieved by hydrothermally treating the Cu(OH)2 crystalline precipitate in an alkaline silicate aqueous solution. The copper silicate platelets obtained from a 5-day hydrothermal treatment in silicate solution have mesopores of about 3.5 nm. For the applications in absorption and catalyst application, the copper silicate has a high absorption efficiency (∼67%) and a fast removal rate toward PH3 gas at 600 ppb and a high-performance catalyst (yield of phenol derivatives about 86%) for the C–O coupling reaction. The mesostructural copper silicate platelets offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly production method due to their flexible and straightforward preparation process. The synthetic route provides a promising approach to preparing different mesoporous metal silicates.

Effect of nanoclay supported nanosilver on the growth inhibition of aquatic pathogens and immunomodulatory effect in Penaeusvannamei

Hybrid of nanosilver and nanoscale silicate platelet (AgNSP) is a safe, non-toxic nanomaterial which has been applied in medical use due to its strong antibacterial activity. The application of AgNSP in aquaculture was first proposed in the present study by evaluating the in vitro antibacterial activities against four aquatic pathogens, in vitro effects toward shrimp haemocytes as well as the immune responses and disease resistance in Penaeus vannamei fed with AgNSP for 7 days. For evaluating the antibacterial activities of AgNSP in culture medium, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values against Aeromonas hydrophila, Edwardsiella tarda, Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus were 100, 15, 625 and 625 mg/L, respectively. Moreover, the inhibition of pathogen growth over a period of 48 h could be achieved by the appropriate treatment of AgNSP in culturing water. In freshwater containing bacterial size of 103 and 106 CFU/mL, the effective doses of AgNSP against A. hydrophila were 12.5 and 450 mg/L, respectively while the effective doses against E. tarda were 0.2 and 50 mg/L, respectively. In seawater with same bacterial size, the effective doses against V. alginolyticus were 150 and 2000 mg/L, respectively while the effective doses against V. parahaemolyticus were 40 and 1500 mg/L, respectively. For the in vitro immune tests, the superoxide anion production and phenoloxidase activity in haemocytes were elevated after in vitro incubation with 0.5–10 mg/L of AgNSP. In the assessment of dietary supplemental effects of AgNSP (2 g/kg), no negative effect on the survival was found at the end of 7 day feeding trail. In addition, the gene expression of superoxide dismutase, lysozyme and glutathione peroxidase were up-regulated in haemocytes taken from shrimps received AgNSP. The following challenge test against Vibrio alginolyticus showed that the survival of shrimp fed with AgNSP was higher than that of shrimp fed with control diet (p = 0.083). Dietary AgNSP improved the Vibrio resistance of shrimp by increasing 22.7% of survival rate. Therefore, AgNSP could potentially be used as a feed additive in shrimp culture.

Characterisation of iron oxide-containing pearlescent pigments used as food colourants: nano-labelling required in the EU?

Pearlescent pigments are used as colourants to increase the attractiveness of food products, especially in the patisserie and confectionery sector. They can be seen as composite materials and consist of thin potassium aluminium silicate (E 555, mica) platelets as carrier material, coated with a thin metal oxide layer of TiO2 (E 171) and/or iron oxides (E 172). The European Food Safety Authority stated in 2020 that mica-based pearlescent pigments as a whole should be evaluated as new food additives. Obtaining dependable data for particle size and layer thickness of these pigments is crucial both for the demanded food additive evaluation itself and also for the nanomaterial labelling assessment of products containing these food colourants according to the ‘Food Information to Consumers’ regulation. Since it was found in a previous study on TiO2-containing pearlescent pigments (silver and golden coloured) that the coating consisted of nanoscaled constituent titanium oxide particles, in this follow-up study we investigated whether Fe2O3-containing pearlescent pigments exhibit a similar nanostructured morphology. For this purpose, five commercially-available food products containing these pigments were investigated. Static light scattering and flow particle image analysis were used as screening methods to determine the mica platelet size. Scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used for nanostructure analysis of the metal oxide coating. The carrier mica platelets were 34–96 µm in diameter and 300–800 nm thick. The coating thickness was found to be in the range of 75–105 nm, with the constituent round shaped iron oxide particles contained therein having a minimum Feret diameter of 37–64 nm.

Fabrication of in situ magnetic capturing and Raman enhancing nanoplatelets for detection of bacteria and biomolecules

In situ magnetic capturing and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection techniques can be used for detecting microbial contamination and uremic toxins. Magnetic SERS substrates were fabricated using immobilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and iron-oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles on exfoliated nanoscale silicate platelets (NSPs). The prepared magnetic SERS nanosheets (Fe3O4@AuNPs@NSP nanosheets) were able to not only magnetically capture bacteria and biomolecules but also effectively induce the hot-spot effect and enhance the Raman signal by the surface plasmon resonance of the AuNP arrays. The results showed that both the ratio of AuNPs to Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the order of immobilization on the NSP nanosheets are important factors for inducing magnetic capturing behavior and SERS sensitivity. A method that yielded magnetic capturing behavior was to graft AuNPs on NSP nanosheets first, followed by the immobilization of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Fe3O4@AuNPs@NSP nanosheets prepared using 0.9 mM HAuCl4 displayed the highest magnetic capturing behavior and SERS enhancement effect, showing an optimal interparticle gap. The bacteria (Escherichia coli) were captured and separated by the magnetic SERS substrates using an applied magnetic field, and then the magnetically captured samples were monitored by Raman spectroscopy for rapid SERS detection. Furthermore, the SERS sensitivity increased by ~2 times after magnetic capturing, and the limit of detection for sensing bacteria was below 103 CFU/mL. The novel magnetic SERS substrates provide ultrasensitive, rapid, and reproducible SERS detection for magnetically capturing biomolecules (bacteria, uremic toxins, and parathyroid hormone) and can be applied in environmental, water, and biomedical detection.

Biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity of copper(II) oxide hybridized with nano silicate platelets

Nano-sized copper(II) oxide (CuO) is an interesting material with proficient antibacterial activities but limited due to its toxicity to mammalian cells. In this study, CuO nano-sized needles were coated on the surface of nano-silicate platelets (NSP), which were exfoliated from natural montmorillonite clays and with the thickness of about 1 nm, to form nanohybrids. Our findings indicate that NSPs can effectively prevent the aggregation of CuO needles, and significantly enhance antibacterial efficiency without affecting biocompatibility. An optimal antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus exceeding 99% could be obtained, while that for Escherichia coli was about 88%. Electron paramagnetic resonance results suggest that •OH radicals, one of the reactive oxygen species generated by CuO/NSP, might damage the cellular components and thus result in the death of bacterial.

Laponite-Mediated Copper Metallization by Palladium Intercalation.

An alternative catalytic method was employed using the reduction of Pd ions on the surface of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) treated laponite to initiate the electroless plating of copper; the deposition features of the Pd nanoparticles produced were investigated in detail. Results indicated intercalation and reduction of Pd nanoparticles occurred at room temperature and involved interaction between the laponite and the cetyltrimethylammonium cationic templates. Organic species and amount on laponite were optimized to adjust silicate platelet interlayer distances and platelet organophilic properties. Intercalation of Pd nanoparticles occurred between the magnesium silicate layers of laponite and this was dependent on pre-treatment and impregnation times. As impregnation is a method of producing heterogeneous catalysts, we considered Pd nanoparticles on laponite templates could catalyze the electroless deposition of Cu to initiate metallization. Cu films fabricated on laponite templates exhibited excellent surface roughness (˜1.7 nm) and low resistivity (˜3.42 μΩ). The devised approach enabled the facile formation of a network suitable for Cu metallization without causing substrate damage and produced metal surfaces with excellent flatness and resistivity.

Effects of Deoxynivalenol and Mycotoxin Adsorbent Agents on Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathways and Inflammation-Associated Gene Expression in Porcine Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most prevalent mycotoxin in swine feedstuffs. The intestinal epithelial cells represent the first target for the DON. Here, we studied the effects of DON and mycotoxin adsorbent agents on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways and inflammation-associated gene expression in porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2). Results showed that phosphorylation of MAPK signaling pathways (p38, ERK, and JNK) was increased after treatment of DON or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in IPEC-J2 cells. The phosphorylation of p38, ERK, and JNK was not further enhanced after co-treatment with DON and LPS. The inos and cox-2 mRNA expression were significantly induced at 6 h after treatment of DON. DON treatment significantly increased the claudin 3 and occludin mRNA expression at 12 h. DON in combination with LPS treatment did not further increase the inflammation and tight junction-associated gene expression. The DON-induced phosphorylation of MAPK signaling pathways was impaired by mycotoxin adsorbent agent (nanoscale silicate platelets and the mixture of montmorillonites and yeast cell walls) treatment, thereby decreasing inflammation and tight junction-associated gene expression. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that DON triggers the inflammation in IPEC-J2 cells by phosphorylation of MAPK signaling pathways and LPS does not further augment the DON-induced inflammatory responses. Mycotoxin adsorbent agents can attenuate DON-induced inflammatory responses in IPEC-J2 cells through modulation of the phosphorylation of p38, ERK, and JNK.

Characterisation of TiO2-containing pearlescent pigments with regard to the European Union labelling obligation of engineered nanomaterials in food

ABSTRACT A wide range of trendy food colourants and ready-to-eat foods containing pearlescent pigments providing glitter effects is currently on the market. These pearlescent pigments consist of mica (potassium aluminium silicate) platelets generally coated with titanium dioxide and/or iron oxides. All single components are approved food additives in the European Union (EU) (E 555, E 171 and E 172). However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has stated recently, that pearlescent pigments should be evaluated as new food additives. Food grade titanium dioxide was already shown to contain a considerable fraction of nanoparticles. Thus, the question about ‘nano’-labelling of TiO2-containing pearlescent pigments according to the ‘Novel Food’ and ‘Food Information to Consumers’ regulations arose. In order to provide data for dealing with these issues, in this study four commercially available products of different food categories containing pearlescent pigments were characterised with focus on the structure, size and chemical composition of these pigments. The measurement methods used were flow particle image analysis (FPIA), static light scattering (SLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). After isolation from various food matrices, the glitter pigments could be easily identified and differentiated by fast FPIA screening from any remaining organic food matrix particles due to their typical platelet-like shape and transparency. The particle size distribution of the platelets was determined by means of SLS and found to be in the range of 8–167 µm. SEM was identified as the most suitable technique for the analysis of the nano-structured coating. For all constituent metal oxide particles (TiO2 and/or Fe2O3) a median minimum Feret diameter (Fmin) of 29.9–46.8 nm was obtained by quantitative SEM image analysis.

Silicone Resin-Based Intumescent Paints.

Silicone resins are widely applied as coating materials due to their unique properties, especially those related to very good heat resistance. The most important effect on the long-term heat resistance of the coating is connected with the type of resin. Moreover, this structure is stabilized by a chemical reaction between the hydroxyl groups from the organoclay and the silicone resin. The novel trends in application of silicone resins in intumescent paints used mostly for protection of steel structures against fire will be presented based on literature review. Some examples of innovative applications for fire protection of other materials will be also presented. The effect of silicone resin structure and the type of filler used in these paints on the properties of the char formed during the thermal decomposition of the intumescent paint will be discussed in detail. The most frequently used additives are expanded graphite and organoclay. It has been demonstrated that silicate platelets are intercalated in the silicone matrix, significantly increasing its mechanical strength and resulting in high protection against fire.

Natural rubber latex-based adhesives: role of nanofillers

The effect of nanosilicates on the performance of natural rubber latex (NRL)-based adhesives was studied. For comparison, a reference filler (Kaolin clay) was included in the study. Natural leather was used as the adherend and the adhesive strength was recorded by measuring the peel strength. The results indicated that incorporation of nanosilicates imparted increased peel strength to NRL-based adhesives. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies confirm the excellent dispersion of silicate platelets in the NR matrix. Peel strength showed maximum value for NRL-based adhesive containing 2phr nanosilicate. The results of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that addition of nanosilicates imparted better thermal stability into the adhesives. Conventional clay could not make any improvement in properties of the adhesives. Viscosity of NRL-based adhesive was increased by the addition of the nanosilicates which confirms the better dispersion of the nanofiller into the NR matrix. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis and contact angle measurements of the NRL/nanosilicate adhesives were also carried out.

Surface charge density and diffuse layer properties of highly defined 2:1 layered silicate platelets

Clays are not only ubiquitous in nature, but they are also used in huge quantities in a broad range of industrial applications, such as thixotropic drilling fluids, ore pelletizers, waste disposal sealants, or fillers in polymer nanocomposites. In order to model environmental processes or to design new materials on a rational base, it is of prime importance to determine and possibly modify the interfacial properties of clay platelets at the solid/electrolyte interface. In this context, the fundamental question rises how far the stoichiometric interlayer charges as determined by the composition of the silicate layer correlates with the diffuse double-layer properties. Here, this question is addressed by means of a series of purposely synthesized sodium 2:1 layered silicates with defined composition and hence interlayer charge densities, respectively. Platelets of layered silicates of large enough diameter to perform AFM colloidal probe measurements were produced by melt synthesis. For comparison also, a natural muscovite mica has been included in this study. The diffuse layer properties in electrolyte solution have been determined by direct force measurements using the colloidal probe AFM technique and by electrokinetic measurements, respectively. We find that the diffuse layer potential decreases with increasing interlayer charge of the 2:1 layered silicates. This counterintuitive finding is attributed to ion adsorption and was further corroborated by determining the quantitative adsorption of polyelectrolytes, namely poly(amidoamine) dendrimers.Graphical abstract

Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide-Based Urethane Acrylate Composites for Sealers of Root Canal Obturation

A new root canal sealer was developed based on urethane acrylates using polycarbonate polyol (PCPO), a macrodiol prepared in the consumption of carbon dioxide as feedstock. The superior mechanical properties and biostability nature of PCPO-based urethane acrylates were then co-crosslinked with a difunctional monomer of tripropylene glycol diarylate (TPGDA) as sealers for resin matrix. Moreover, nanoscale silicate platelets (NSPs) immobilized with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and/or zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were introduced to enhance the antibacterial effect for the sealers. The biocompatibility and the antibacterial effect were investigated by Alamar blue assay and LDH assay. In addition, the antibacterial efficiency was performed by using Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) as microbial response evaluation. These results demonstrate that the PCPO-based urethane acrylates with 50 ppm of both AgNP and ZnONP immobilized on silicate platelets, i.e., Ag/ZnO@NSP, exhibited great potential as an antibacterial composite for the sealer of root canal obturation.

Facile Fabrication of Flexible Electrodes and Immobilization of Silver Nanoparticles on Nanoscale Silicate Platelets to Form Highly Conductive Nanohybrid Films for Wearable Electronic Devices.

This study investigated films with remarkably high electrical conductivity after they were easily prepared from organic/inorganic nanohybrid solutions containing an organic polymeric dispersant and two-dimensional nanoscale silicate platelets as the inorganic stabilizer dispersed with silver nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the production of silver nanoparticles synthesized by the in situ chemical reduction of AgNO3 in an aqueous solution by N,N-dimethylformamide results in an average silver nanoparticle diameter of circa 20 nm. Thin films of silver nanoparticles were prepared on a 1-μm-thick film with a low sheet resistance of 8.24 × 10−4 Ω/sq, achieved through the surface migration of silver nanoparticles and prepared by sintering at 300 °C to form an interconnected network. This was achieved with a silver nanoparticle content of 5 wt%, using nanoscale silicate platelets/polyoxyethylene-segmented polyimide/AgNO3 at a weight ratio of 1:10:35. During sintering, the color of the hybrid film changed from gold to milky white, suggesting the migration of silver nanoparticles and the formation of an interconnected network. The results show promise for the fabrication of novel silver-based electrocardiogram electrodes and a flexible wireless electrocardiogram measurement system for wearable electronics.

Mechanisms for enhanced impact strength of epoxy based nanocomposites reinforced with silicate platelets

This research investigates the effect of reinforcing organically modified nano-clay on the mechanical properties of epoxy-clay based nanocomposites. Tensile strength, tensile modulus, strain at break, micro-hardness, and impact strength were evaluated. Nano-clay content was varied in the range of 0–4 wt%. Nano-clay was dispersed using ultrasonication and homogenization. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed intercalated clay morphology for all the nanocomposites, thereby ratifying that the processing methodology was effective in dispersing nano-clay in the epoxy matrix. Tensile strength, impact strength, and micro-hardness values for nanocomposites were maximum at 1.5 wt% nano-clay with improvement of 48%, 22%, and 44.5% respectively over the neat epoxy. Mechanical testing results correlated well with SEM and FEG-SEM micrograph analysis of fractured impact test specimens. The novelty of the present work lies in identifying the underlying mechanisms resulting in improved impact performance of nanocomposites. Nanocomposites displayed superior mechanical properties due to the presence of energy absorbing mechanisms like crack deflection, crack pinning, and crack arresting.

Immobilization and 3D Hot-Junction Formation of Gold Nanoparticles on Two-Dimensional Silicate Nanoplatelets as Substrates for High-Efficiency Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection.

We synthesize a high-efficiency substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements, which is composed of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on two-dimensional silicate nanoplatelets acting as an inorganic stabilizer, via the in-situ reduction of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (III) by sodium citrate in an aqueous solution. Silicate platelets of ~1-nm thickness and various sizes, viz. laponite (50 nm), sodium montmorillonite (Na+–MMT, 100 nm), and mica (500 nm), are used to stabilize the AuNPs (Au@silicate), which are formed with uniform diameters ranging between 25 and 30 nm as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In particular, the laponite SERS substrate can be used in biological, environmental, and food safety applications to measure small molecules such as DNA (adenine molecule), dye (Direct Blue), and herbicide (paraquat) as it shows high detection sensitivity with a detection limit of 10−9 M for adenine detection. These highly sensitive SERS substrates, with their three-dimensional hot-junctions formed with AuNPs and two-dimensional silicate nanoplatelets, allow the highly efficient detection of organic molecules. Therefore, these Au@silicate nanohybrid substrates have great potential in biosensor technology because of their environmentally-friendly and simple fabrication process, high efficiency, and the possibility of rapid detection.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles/polymer immobilized on silicate platelets for crude oil recovery

A novel nanocomposite containing polymer and iron-oxide nanoparticles in the interlayer space of layered silicate magadiite (mag) was synthesized by ion-exchange and co-precipitated method. Mag was first modified with poly(oxypropylene)amine salts (POP at 2000 and 4000 g/mol Mw). The interlayer space could be effectively expanded from 1.5 to 6.4 and 11.4 nm, respectively, by controlling the amount of POP intercalated. The expanded basal space is suitable for iron oxide nanoparticles embedded. During the ion-exchanging and co-precipitating of iron species, there's an unwanted “crowding-out effect” that release POP molecules, which lead to the mag couldn't encapsulate iron oxide nanoparticles in a certain amount. The existence of high molecular weight POP4000 and low temperature (<4 °C) facilitate a better dispersion in reaction is adaptable for exchanging for Fe2+/Fe3+ ions and generating iron oxide nanoparticles. By changing the proportions of iron oxide and POP, the final synthesized POP4000-mag-iron oxide was constituted of 14% iron oxide and 60 wt % POP. The synthesized nanoparticles comprising of POP molecules and iron oxide could be applied as a crude oil absorbent due to its ability to absorb crude oil and it is recyclable under a magnetism.

Manipulation of the properties of PLA nanocomposites by controlling the distribution of nanoclay via varying the acrylonitrile content in NBR rubber

Nanocomposites based on blends of polylactide (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and 4 wt% organically modified nanoclay (Cloisite 10A) were prepared via melt compounding. To investigate the influence of NBR acrylonitrile (ACN) content on the dispersion state and localization of nanoclay and micromorphology of the blends, three different NBRs with low (19%), medium (33%) and high (51%) ACN content were employed. Nanocomposites with low ACN NBR exhibited higher dispersion of clay nanolayers within the PLA matrix, whereas increase in ACN content gave rise to the localization of silicate platelets within the interface of two phases which was consistent well with the enhanced interfacial interaction between PLA and NBR phases that was evidenced by surface tension and melt rheology analysis. The size of dispersed NBR droplets decreased by the incorporation of organoclay into the composition of all PLA/NBR blends irrespective of the ACN content. However, the reduction in NBR droplet size by the nanoclay layers showed to be more pronounced for the nanocomposites based on high ACN rubber phase as a result of higher localization of nanoclay platelets within the interface of the PLA and NBR. All nanocomposites exhibited significant increase in elongation at break than simple blend counterparts, implying intensification of PLA and NBR interface by nanoclay incorporation.

Multiscale Investigation of a Bioresidue as a Novel Intercalant for Sodium Montmorillonite

This paper investigates the efficacy of a novel bioresidue (made from biomass) for organic modification of sodium montmorillonite clay. To this end, montmorillonite was biomodified using a solution-intercalation processing technique. The results of experiments, carried out using techniques of XRD, FTIR, TGA, and oscillatory rheometry, showed that strong interactions exist between certain molecular species of bioresidue (e.g., amide and carboxyl groups) and silicate platelets of montmorillonite clay, leading to a highly intercalated clay structure. An atomic-level analysis using density functional theory (DFT) was also employed to study the effect of the bioresidue’s polar functional groups on the basal d-spacing of montmorillonite. On the basis of DFT results, the overall increase in the gallery spacing observed for amide and carboxyl intercalants could be attributed to the ion–dipole and dipole–dipole interactions and, most importantly, reduction in positive charge of the gallery space. This reduction of...

Competitive interactions, structure and properties in polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites

Thermoplastic polymer/layered silicate composites were prepared from the same organophilized montmorillonite (OMMT) and four different matrices, polypropylene (PP), the blend of PP and a maleated polymer (MAPP), poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polyamide (PA) in order to study the effect of their chemical structure and interactions on composite structure and properties. The components were homogenized by extrusion and then specimens were injection molded, which were then characterized by a variety of methods. The results showed that competitive interactions among silicate layers and between the silicate and the polymer determine the extent of exfoliation, and structure. The morphology of the composites is complicated, exfoliation is never complete, besides individual silicate layers, the composite can contain a silicate network, stacks of silicate platelets and larger particles in various amounts. Several local deformation processes can take place around the structural entities as well as in the matrix. Fracture and debonding are the main particle related processes, while cavitation takes place in the polymer, at least in PA and PLA. The macroscopic properties of layered silicate composites are determined by the extent of exfoliation and interfacial adhesion that decreases upon organophilization. Increased reinforcement and improved composite properties can be achieved only by the proper control of all interactions prevailing in the composite.

Functionalizing and molecular bonding nanoscale silicate-polymer composites of epoxies and Polyacrylates

The nanometer-thin silicate platelets (NSP) were prepared by exfoliating sodium silicate clays (Na+-MMT). The silanol groups on the edge of NSP were organically functionalized via covalent bonding with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) through sol-gel reaction to generate the amine-functionalized NSP (NSP-amines). Moreover, the NSP-amines were further allowed to react with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) through epoxy-ring opening reaction to afford the NSP with covalently bonded acrylates (NSP-acrylates). The blending of NSP-acrylate in an UV-curable resin afforded the coating films of improved hardness from 4H to 6H by loading only 0.5 wt% and to 8H by loading 1.0 wt% of NSP-acrylate. By comparison, blending NSP-amines instead of NSP-acrylates in thermal-curable epoxy resins improved the films’ hardness from HB to H, 2H, 3H, and 4H when loading 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, and 3 wt%, respectively. The reversed utilization of using NSP-acrylates in epoxy and NSP-amines in acrylate resin demonstrated the nanocomposites of less effect than the analogous examples. The NSP-amines and NSP-acrylates were characterized by 29Si solid-state NMR for the evidence of Si-O-R bonding and the organic fraction variation was studied by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA).