Aqueous solutions are the basis for most biomedical assays, but they quench the upconversion luminescence significantly. Surface modifications of upconverting nanoparticles are vital for shielding the obtained luminescence. Modifications also provide new possibilities for further use by introducing attaching sites for biomolecule conjugation. We demonstrate the use of a layer-by-layer surface modification method combining varying lengths of negatively charged polyelectrolytes with positive neodymium ions in coating the upconverting NaYF:Yb,Er nanoparticles. We confirmed the formation of the bilayers and investigated the surface properties with Fourier transform infrared and reflectance spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and ζ-potential measurements. The effect of the coating on the upconversion luminescence properties was characterized, and the bilayers with the highest improvement in emission intensity were identified. In addition, studies for the nanoparticle and surface stability were carried out in aqueous environments. It was observed that the bilayers were able to shield the materials' luminescence from quenching also in the presence of phosphate buffer that is currently considered the most disruptive environment for the nanoparticles.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6150739 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b00869 | DOI Listing |
Nanoscale Horiz
January 2025
Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) convert near-infrared (IR) light into higher-energy visible light, allowing them to be used in applications such as biological imaging, nano-thermometry, and photodetection. It is well known that the upconversion luminescent efficiency of UCNPs can be enhanced by using a host material with low phonon energies, but the use of low-vibrational-energy inorganic ligands and non-epitaxial shells has been relatively underexplored. Here, we investigate the functionalization of lanthanide-doped NaYF UCNPs with low-vibrational-energy SnS ligands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFColloids Surf B Biointerfaces
January 2025
Biofunctional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro 76230, Mexico. Electronic address:
The integration of multiple functionalities into single theranostic platforms offers new opportunities for personalized and minimally invasive clinical interventions, positioning these materials as highly promising tools in modern medicine. Thereby, magneto-luminescent Janus-like nanoparticles (JNPs) were developed herein, and encapsulated into near-infrared (NIR) light- and pH- responsive micelle-like aggregates (Mic) for simultaneous magnetic targeting, biomedical imaging, photothermal therapy, and pH- NIR-light activated drug delivery. The JNPs consisted of NaYF:Yb,Tm upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) on which a well-differentiated magnetite structure (MNPs) grew epitaxially.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSensors (Basel)
December 2024
Research Group for Implantable Microsystems, Faculty of Information Technology & Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary.
The aim of this work is to incorporate lanthanide-cored upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) into the surface of microengineered biomedical implants to create a spatially controlled and optically releasable model drug delivery device in an integrated fashion. Our approach enables silicone-based microelectrocorticography (ECoG) implants holding platinum/iridium recording sites to serve as a stable host of UCNPs. Nanoparticles excitable in the near-infrared (lower energy) regime and emitting visible (higher energy) light are utilized in a study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNature
January 2025
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
The forces generated by action potentials in muscle cells shuttle blood, food and waste products throughout the luminal structures of the body. Although non-invasive electrophysiological techniques exist, most mechanosensors cannot access luminal structures non-invasively. Here we introduce non-toxic ingestible mechanosensors to enable the quantitative study of luminal forces and apply them to study feeding in living Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemistry
December 2024
School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
Upconverted circularly polarized luminescence (UC-CPL) active organic and organic-inorganic composite materials have garnered increasing attention due to their vast potential applications in areas such as 3D displays, encryptions, spintronics and optoelectronic devices. However, effective methods for fabricating chiral inorganic materials exhibiting UC-CPL remain a challenge. Herein, we propose an approach for the synthesis of UC-CPL active chiral mesostructured CeO powders (CMCs) via a hydrothermal growth method, using L/D-aspartic acid as symmetry-breaking and structure-directing agents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!