TY - JOUR A1 - Meng, M. A1 - Zhang, R. A1 - Zhenlong, F. A1 - Yang, J. A1 - Ansari, A. A1 - Ou, Jun A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Retracted article: Effect of Ca2+ doping on the upconversion luminescence properties of NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ nanoparticles and study of its temperature measurement performance N2 - A solvothermal method was used to prepare a series of Yb3+/Tm3+/Ca2+ co-doped NaYF4 nanoparticles with different Ca2+ contents. Strong upconversion blue fluorescence could be observed under 980 nm laser excitation of the samples. The effect of different Ca2+ contents on the luminescence intensity was investigated, and it was found that the UV-vis upconversion luminescence increased and then decreased with an increasing Ca2+ concentration during the increase of the Ca2+ content from 0 mol% to 25 mol%, reaching the strongest fluorescence at 15 mol%, which was up to about 28 times stronger than that without Ca2+ doping. Furthermore, the mechanism was investigated, and it was found that the doping of Ca2+ disrupted the symmetry of the crystal field, resulting in a significant enhancement of the overall fluorescence. Applied to fluorescence intensity ratio thermometry, the absolute and relative sensitivities are as high as 0.0418 K−1 and 2.31% K−1, respectively, with a minimum temperature resolution of 0.0129 K. KW - Sensor KW - Temperature KW - Lanthanide KW - Luminescence KW - Nanoparticles KW - Upconversion KW - Advanced materials PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CE00562J SN - 1466-8033 VL - 24 IS - 27 SP - 4887 EP - 4898 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - London AN - OPUS4-56952 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kaiser, M. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Kraft, Marco A1 - Hyppänen, I. A1 - Soukka, T. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Power-dependent upconversion quantum yield of NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nano- and micrometer-sized particles – measurements and simulations N2 - Photophysical studies of nonlinear lanthanide-doped photon upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) increasingly used in biophotonics and photovoltaics require absolute measurements of the excitation power density (P)-dependent upconversion luminescence (UCL) and luminescence quantum yields (ΦUC) for quantifying the material performance, UCL deactivation pathways, and possible enhancement factors. We present here the P-dependence of the UCL spectra, ΦUC, and slope factors of the different emission bands of representative 25 nm-sized oleate-capped β-NaYF4:17% Yb3+, 3% Er3+ UCNPs dispersed in toluene and as powder as well as ΦUC of 3 μm-sized upconversion particles (UCμP), all measured with a newly designed integrating sphere setup, enabling controlled variation of P over four orders of magnitude. This includes quantifying the influence of the beam shape on the measured ΦUC and comparison of experimental ΦUC with simulations utilizing the balancing power density model of the Andersson-Engels group and the simulated ΦUC of UCμP from the Berry group, underpinned by closely matching decay kinetics of our UC material. We obtained a maximum ΦUC of 10.5% for UCμP and a ΦUC of 0.6% and 2.1% for solid and dispersed UCNPs, respectively. Our results suggest an overestimation of the contribution of the purple and an underestimation of that of the red emission of β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+: microparticles by the simulations of the Berry group. Moreover, our measurements can be used as a guideline to the absolute determination of UCL and ΦUC KW - Upconversion KW - Photophysics KW - Nanoparticles PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c7nr02449e VL - 9 IS - 28 SP - 10051 EP - 10058 PB - The Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-41550 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Grabolle, Markus A1 - Pauli, Jutta A1 - Spieles, Monika A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Relative and absolute determination of fluorescence quantum yields of transparent samples N2 - Luminescence techniques are among the most widely used detection methods in the life and material sciences. At the core of these methods is an ever-increasing variety of fluorescent reporters (i.e., simple dyes, fluorescent labels, probes, sensors and switches) from different fluorophore classes ranging from small organic dyes and metal ion complexes, quantum dots and upconversion nanocrystals to differently sized fluorophore-doped or fluorophore-labeled polymeric particles. A key parameter for fluorophore comparison is the fluorescence quantum yield (Φf), which is the direct measure for the efficiency of the conversion of absorbed light into emitted light. In this protocol, we describe procedures for relative and absolute determinations of Φf values of fluorophores in transparent solution using optical methods, and we address typical sources of uncertainty and fluorophore class-specific challenges. For relative determinations of Φf, the sample is analyzed using a conventional fluorescence spectrometer. For absolute determinations of Φf, a calibrated stand-alone integrating sphere setup is used. To reduce standard-related uncertainties for relative measurements, we introduce a series of eight candidate quantum yield standards for the wavelength region of ~350–950 nm, which we have assessed with commercial and custom-designed instrumentation. With these protocols and standards, uncertainties of 5–10% can be achieved within 2 h. PY - 2013 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-294202 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2013.087 SN - 1754-2189 SN - 1750-2799 VL - 8 IS - 8 SP - 1535 EP - 1550 PB - Nature Publishing Group CY - Basingstoke AN - OPUS4-29420 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koshkina, Olga A1 - Bantz, C. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Lang, Thomas A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Maskos, Michael T1 - Fluorophore-labeled siloxane-based nanoparticles for biomedical applications N2 - We present the synthesis and characterization of multifunctional fluorophore-labeled poly(organosiloxane) nanoparticles with core-shell architecture, where the fluorescent dye is incorporated into the core. Grafting of heterobifunctional poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) onto the particle surface leads to water-soluble biocompatible nanoparticles. Two different strategies have been used for the synthesis: The encapsulation of dye-labeled monomers during the polycondensation with additional PEO coating and subsequent dye labeling by covalent attachment of the fluorescent dye rhodamine B to the (chloromethylphenyl)siloxane groups in the core after polymerization and grafting of PEO onto the surface. Comparison of the fluorescence quantum yields of the nanoparticles before and after PEO coating show a decrease in quantum yield after PEO coating. KW - Biocompatibility KW - Core-shell KW - Fluorescence KW - Fluorescence quantum yield KW - Nanoparticles KW - PEO PY - 2011 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/masy.201100041 SN - 1022-1360 SN - 0258-0322 SN - 1521-3900 VL - 309/310 IS - 1 SP - 141 EP - 146 PB - Wiley-VCH Verl. CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-25143 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Würth, Christian T1 - Setup for the power-dependent absolute quantum yield measurements of luminescent reporters in the VIS and IR spectral region: example of upconversion nanoparticles N2 - The design of bright of upconversion nanoparticles requires an improved understanding of the radiationless deactivation pathways in UCNP, that are affected by their size1,2, surface chemistry,2 and microenvironment 3,4. In this respect, we discuss experimental requirements of an integrating sphere setup for absolute measurements of the excitation power density dependent quantum yield5,6 (UC(P)) in the VIS to IR spectral region. We report systematic studies of the influence of the UCNP size, surface ligands, and solvent on the UC(P), the up- and downconversion luminescence decay behavior, the power dependent intensities of the individual emission bands, and their slope factors. T2 - SPIE Photonics West CY - San Francisco, USA DA - 11.02.2016 KW - Upconversion KW - Quantum Yield PY - 2016 AN - OPUS4-38406 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Amouroux, B. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Roux, C. A1 - Eftekhari, A. A1 - Sliwa, M. A1 - Bouchet, A. A1 - Micheau, J.-C. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Coudret, C. T1 - Time-Resolved Rate Equation Analysis Disclose Kinetics Controlling Luminescence of Nanometer Tm-Upconverting Nanoparticles N2 - Upconversion luminescence of lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) is a nonlinear step-wise process in which the consecutive absorption of multiple, low-energy photons results in the subsequent emission of a high-energy photon. The primary upconversion mechanism is energy transfer upconversion (ETU) from a sensitizer (Yb3+) to an activator (Tm3+). It requires the absorption of several excitation lowenergy photons by Yb3+, followed by the sequential energy transfer to Tm3+ions. Excited states relax to their ground states either radiatively by emitting a high-energy photon or non-radiatively by multiphonon relaxation through the crystalline host matrix. The time-resolved rise and decay luminescence curves of a set of five ultrasmall have been recorded under varying power near-infrared μs pulses. Six wavelengths have been used to monitor the evolution of the main Yb and Tm excited states. We use an average rate equations model to decipher the relationships between the compositional constraints and size of these ultrasmall UCNPs and the luminescence kinetic parameters. Several rate constants of ETU and other depopulation processes involving the multiple states of the Tm3+ energy scaffold have been retrieved from the simultaneous fit of the recorded curves. Their values have been interpreted by considering bulk and surface quenching, radiative and multi-phonon relaxations, and ion-to-ion hopping. Energy transfer between Yb3+ and Tm3+ is mainly occurring within neighbor atoms. The importance of mismatches on multiphonon relaxations, ETUs, and back-transfers has also been highlighted. For these numerical modeling, it appears that changing the composition and synthesis conditions with the aim to improve a single-specific parameter could remain a major challenge as this modification would automatically impact other properties with immediate consequences on UCNP dynamics. KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Synthesis KW - Shell KW - Fluorescence KW - Lifetime KW - Decay kinetics KW - Method KW - Modelling KW - Quality assurance KW - Energy transfer KW - Upconversation PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c04969 VL - 128 IS - 44 SP - 18836 EP - 18848 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-61645 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Lochmann, Cornelia A1 - Spieles, Monika A1 - Pauli, Jutta A1 - Hoffmann, Katrin A1 - Schüttrigkeit, T. A1 - Franzl, T. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Evaluation of a commercial integrating sphere setup for the determination of absolute photoluminescence quantum yields of dilute dye solutions N2 - The commercial availability of stand-alone setups for the determination of absolute photoluminescence quantum yields (φf) in conjunction with the increasing use of integrating sphere accessories for spectrofluorometers is expected to have a considerable influence not only on the characterization of chromophore systems for use in optical and opto-electronic devices, but also on the determination of this key parameter for (bio)analytically relevant dyes and functional luminophores. Despite the huge potential of systems measuring absolute φf values and the renewed interest in dependable data, evaluated protocols for even the most elementary case, the determination of the fluorescence quantum yield of transparent dilute solutions of small organic dyes with integrating sphere methods, are still missing. This encouraged us to evaluate the performance and sources of uncertainty of a simple commercial integrating sphere setup with dilute solutions of two of the best characterized fluorescence quantum yield standards, quinine sulfate dihydrate and rhodamine 101, strongly differing in spectral overlap between absorption and emission. Special attention is dedicated to illustrate common pitfalls of this approach, thereby deriving simple procedures to minimize measurement uncertainties and improve the comparability of data for the broad community of users of fluorescence techniques. KW - Lifetime KW - Fluorescence KW - Luminescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Quantum efficiency KW - Integrating sphere KW - Reabsorption KW - Rhodamine 101 KW - Quinine sulfate dihydrate KW - Method KW - Photoluminescence KW - Standard KW - Emission KW - Spectral correction KW - Excitation KW - Anisotropy PY - 2010 DO - https://doi.org/10.1366/000370210791666390 SN - 0003-7028 SN - 1943-3530 VL - 64 IS - 7 SP - 733 EP - 741 PB - Society for Applied Spectroscopy CY - Frederick, Md. AN - OPUS4-22089 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koshkina, Olga A1 - Westmeier, D. A1 - Lang, Thomas A1 - Bantz, C. A1 - Hahlbrock, A. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Braun, Ulrike A1 - Thiermann, Raphael A1 - Weise, C. A1 - Eravci, M. A1 - Mohr, B. A1 - Schlaad, H. A1 - Stauber, R. H. A1 - Docter, D. A1 - Bertin, Annabelle A1 - Maskos, M. T1 - Tuning the surface of nanoparticles: Impact of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) on protein adsorption in serum and cellular uptake N2 - Due to the adsorption of biomolecules, the control of the biodistribution of nanoparticles is still one of the major challenges of nanomedicine. Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) for surface modification of nanoparticles is applied and both protein adsorption and cellular uptake of PEtOxylated nanoparticles versus nanoparticles coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and non-coated positively and negatively charged nanoparticles are compared. Therefore, fluorescent poly(organosiloxane) nanoparticles of 15 nm radius are synthesized, which are used as a scaffold for surface modification in a grafting onto approach. With multi-angle dynamic light scattering, asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation, gel electrophoresis, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, it is demonstrated that protein adsorption on PEtOxylated nanoparticles is extremely low, similar as on PEGylated nanoparticles. Moreover, quantitative microscopy reveals that PEtOxylation significantly reduces the non-specific cellular uptake, particularly by macrophage-like cells. Collectively, studies demonstrate that PEtOx is a very effective alternative to PEG for stealth modification of the surface of nanoparticles. KW - Poloxazolines KW - Protein corona KW - Cellular uptake PY - 2016 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.201600074 SN - 1616-5187 SN - 1616-5195 VL - 16 IS - 9 SP - 1287 EP - 1300 AN - OPUS4-37369 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - González, M.G. A1 - Niessner, R. A1 - Panne, Ulrich A1 - Haisch, C. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Determination of the absolute fluorescence quantum yield of rhodamine 6G with optical and photoacoustic methods - providing the basis for fluorescence quantum yield standards N2 - To establish the methodical basis for the development and certification of fluorescence quantum yield standards, we determined the fluorescence quantum yield Φf of rhodamine 6G (R6G) with two absolute methods with complementary measurement principles, here optical spectroscopy using an integrating sphere setup and pulsed laser photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS). For the assessment of aggregation- and reabsorption-induced distortions of measured fluorescence quantum yields and procedures for the reliable consideration of such effects, this systematic comparison was performed in ethanol and in water employing different concentrations of R6G. In addition, the relative and absolute fluorescence quantum yields of these solutions were obtained with a calibrated spectrofluorometer and a commercialized integrating sphere setup. Based upon this systematic comparison, experimental advantages and systematic sources of variation were identified for both methods. KW - Fluorescence KW - Photoluminescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Photoacoustic spectroscopy KW - Absolute quantum yield KW - Integrating sphere KW - Rhodamine 6G KW - Aggregation KW - Reabsorption PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2011.12.051 SN - 0039-9140 VL - 90 SP - 30 EP - 37 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-25710 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Würth, Christian T1 - Determination of brightness values of luminescent particles T2 - 23rd Lecture Conference on Photochemistry CY - Potsdam, Germany DA - 2012-10-08 PY - 2012 AN - OPUS4-26677 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Amouroux, B. A1 - Eftekhari, A. A1 - Roux, C. A1 - Micheau, J. A1 - Roblin, P. A1 - Pasturel, M. A1 - Gauffre, F. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Sliwa, M. A1 - Bouchet, A. A1 - Coudret, C. T1 - Synthesis and Emission Dynamics of Sub-3 nm Upconversion Nanoparticles N2 - Reducing the size of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) down to a few nm yields luminescent materials containing a very small number of emitters. Considering the bottom limit of one activator per particle ultrasmall UCNPs offer an unprecedented platform to study the contributions of the energy transfers at play in upconversion luminescence. Maintaining detectable emission despite the limited number of emitting ions and the high surface-to-volume ratio requires suitable particle architectures. Na(Gd-Yb)F4:Tm3+ emissive sub-3 nm diameter 𝜷-phase UCNPs are prepared using a gadolinium-rich composition in situ mixing of the precursors and a microwave high-temperature cycling sequence allowing precise control of the particle size and dispersity. These cores are coated with a NaGdF4 inert shell to minimize the deleterious influence of surface quenching (SQ). Time-resolved luminescence measurements combining standard NIR excitation of the Yb3+ sensitizer and direct UV excitation of the Tm3+ activator are performed to quantify cross relaxation and surface quenching processes. The fine tuning of the number of activators per particle via an optimized synthesis pathway along with the use of an appropriate excitation scheme enabled to provide an accurate analysis of the different mechanisms at play in these model nanoparticles and to characterize the structure of the core-shell architecture. KW - Lanthanide KW - Nanoparticle KW - Luminescence KW - Quantitative spectroscopy KW - Quantum yield KW - Energy transfer KW - Quality assurance KW - Synthesis KW - Surface modification KW - Photophysics PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-606877 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.202303283 SN - 2195-1071 SP - 1 EP - 13 AN - OPUS4-60687 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Le Guevel, X. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Baulin, V. A. A1 - Musnier, B. A1 - Josserand, V. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Koll, J-C T1 - Tailoring the SWIR emission of gold nanoclusters by surface ligand rigidification and their application in 3D bioimaging N2 - The influence of solvent polarity and surface ligand rigidification on the SWIR emission profile of gold nanoclusters with an anistropic surface was investigated. A strong enhancement of the SWIR emission band at 1200 nm was observed when measuring in different local environments: in solution, in polymer composites, and in solids. SWIR in vivo imaging of mice assisted by deep learning after intravenous administration of these gold nanoclusters provides high definition pseudo-3D views of vascular blood vessels. KW - Nano KW - Nanomaterial KW - Metal cluster KW - Photoluminescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Photophysics KW - Lifetime KW - Sensor KW - NIR KW - SWIR KW - Ligand KW - Gold KW - Mechanism KW - Charge transfer KW - Enhancement strategy KW - Imaging KW - Application KW - Contrast agent PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-543582 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D1CC06737K VL - 58 IS - 18 SP - 2967 EP - 2970 PB - RSC AN - OPUS4-54358 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Kaiser, Martin A1 - Wilhelm, Stefan A1 - Grauel, Bettina A1 - Hirsch, Th. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Excitation power dependent population pathways and absolute quantum yields of upconversion nanoparticles in different solvents N2 - The rational design of brighter upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) requires a better understanding of the radiationless deactivation pathways in these materials. Here, we demonstrate the potential of excitation power density (P)-dependent studies of upconversion (UC) luminescence intensities, slope factors, and absolute quantum yields (ΦUC) of popular β-NaYF4:20% Yb3+,2% Er3+ UCNPs of different surface chemistries in organic solvents, D2O, and water as a tool to gain deeper insight into the UC mechanism including population and deactivation pathways particularly of the red emission. Our measurements, covering a P regime of three orders of magnitude, reveal a strong difference of the P-dependence of the ratio of the green and red luminescence bands (Ig/r) in water and organic solvents and P-dependent population pathways of the different emissive energy levels of Er3+. In summary, we provide experimental evidence for three photon processes in UCNPs, particularly for the red emission. Moreover, we demonstrate changes in the excited population dynamics via bi- and triphotonic processes dependent on the environment, surface chemistry, and P, and validate our findings theoretically KW - Upconverion KW - Quantum Yield KW - Photo physics PY - 2017 UR - http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2017/nr/c7nr00092h DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/c7nr00092h SN - 2040-3364 SN - 2040-3372 VL - 9 IS - 12 SP - 4283 EP - 4294 PB - The Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-39849 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -