TY - JOUR A1 - Hennig, Andreas A1 - Borcherding, H. A1 - Jäger, Christian A1 - Hatami, Soheil A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Hoffmann, Angelika A1 - Hoffmann, Katrin A1 - Thiele, T. A1 - Schedler, U. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Scope and limitations of surface functional quantification methods: exploratory study with poly(acrylic acid)-grafted micro- and nanoparticles N2 - The amount of grafted poly(acrylic acid) on poly(methyl methacrylate) micro- and nanoparticles was quantified by conductometry, 13C solid-state NMR, fluorophore labeling, a supramolecular assay based on high-affinity binding of cucurbit[7]uril, and two colorimetric assays based on toluidine blue and nickel complexation by pyrocatechol violet. The methods were thoroughly validated and compared with respect to reproducibility, sensitivity, and ease of use. The results demonstrate that only a small but constant fraction of the surface functional groups is accessible to covalent surface derivatization independently of the total number of surface functional groups, and different contributing factors are discussed that determine the number of probe molecules which can be bound to the polymer surface. The fluorophore labeling approach was modified to exclude artifacts due to fluorescence quenching, but absolute quantum yield measurements still indicate a major uncertainty in routine fluorescence-based surface group quantifications, which is directly relevant for biochemical assays and medical diagnostics. Comparison with results from protein labeling with streptavidin suggests a porous network of poly(acrylic acid) chains on the particle surface, which allows diffusion of small molecules (cutoff between 1.6 and 6.5 nm) into the network. KW - Polymers KW - Surface groups KW - Quantification KW - Fluorescence PY - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/ja302649g SN - 0002-7863 SN - 1520-5126 VL - 134 IS - 19 SP - 8268 EP - 8276 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-26002 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Huber, Alexandra A1 - Behnke, Thomas A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Jäger, Christian A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Spectroscopic characterization of coumarin-stained beads: quantification of the number of fluorophores per particle with solid-state 19F-NMR and measurement of absolute fluorescence quantum yields N2 - The rational design of nano- and micrometer-sized particles with tailor-made optical properties for biological, diagnostic, and photonic applications requires tools to characterize the signal-relevant properties of these typically scattering bead suspensions. This includes methods for the preferably nondestructive quantification of the number of fluorophores per particle and the measurement of absolute fluorescence quantum yields and absorption coefficients of suspensions of fluorescent beads for material performance optimization and comparison. Here, as a first proof-of-concept, we present the first time determination of the number of dye molecules per bead using nondestructive quantitative (19F) NMR spectroscopy and 1000 nm-sized carboxylated polystyrene particles loaded with varying concentrations of the laser dye coumarin 153 containing a CF3 group. Additionally, the signal-relevant optical properties of these dye-loaded particles were determined in aqueous suspension in comparison to the free dye in solvents of different polarity with a custom-built integrating sphere setup that enables spectrally resolved measurements of emission, transmission, and reflectance as well absolute fluorescence quantum yields. These measurements present an important step toward absolute brightness values and quantitative fluorescence analysis with particle systems that can be exploited, for example, for optical imaging techniques and different fluorescence assays as well as for the metrological traceability of fluorescence methods. PY - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/ac3000682 SN - 0003-2700 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 84 IS - 8 SP - 3654 EP - 3661 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-25873 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 U6 - 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 - JOUR A1 - Napp, J. A1 - Behnke, Thomas A1 - Fischer, L. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Wottawa, M. A1 - Katschinski, D.M. A1 - Alves, F. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Schäferling, M. T1 - Targeted luminescent near-infrared polymer-nanoprobes for in vivo imaging of tumor hypoxia N2 - Polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) were doped with an oxygen-sensitive near-infrared (NIR)-emissive palladium meso-tetraphenylporphyrin and an inert reference dye which are both excitable at 635 nm. The nanosensors were characterized with special emphasis on fundamental parameters such as absolute photoluminescence quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime. The PS-NPs were employed for ratiometric dual-wavelength and lifetime-based photoluminescent oxygen sensing. They were efficiently taken up by cultured murine alveolar macrophages, yielding a characteristic and reversible change in ratiometric response with decreasing oxygen concentration. This correlated with the cellular hypoxic status verified by analysis of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) accumulation. In addition, the surface of PS-NPs was functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the monoclonal antibody herceptin, and their binding to HER2/neu-overexpressing tumor cells was confirmed in vitro. First experiments with tumor-bearing mouse revealed a distinctive ratiometric response within the tumor upon hypoxic condition induced by animal sacrifice. These results demonstrate the potential of these referenced NIR nanosensors for in vitro and in vivo imaging that present a new generation of optical probes for oncology. KW - Fluorescence KW - NIR KW - Nanoparticles KW - Microparticles KW - Imaging KW - Cancer KW - Oxygene PY - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/ac201870b SN - 0003-2700 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 83 IS - 23 SP - 9039 EP - 9046 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-24987 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Pauli, Jutta A1 - Lochmann, Cornelia A1 - Spieles, Monika A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Integrating sphere setup for the traceable measurement of absolute photoluminescence quantum yields in the near infrared N2 - There is an increasing interest in chromophores absorbing and emitting in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region, e.g., for applications as fluorescent reporters for optical imaging techniques and hence, in reliable methods for the characterization of their signal-relevant properties like the fluorescence quantum yield (Φf) and brightness. The lack of well established Φf standards for the NIR region in conjunction with the need for accurate Φf measurements in transparent and scattering media encouraged us to built up an integrating sphere setup for spectrally resolved measurements of absolute fluorescence traceable to radiometric scales. Here, we present the design of this setup and its characterization and validation including an uncertainty budget for the determination of absolute Φf in the visible and NIR. To provide the basis for better measurements of Φf in the spectral window from ca. 600 to 1000 nm used, e.g., for optical imaging, the absolute Φf of a set of NIR chromophores covering this spectral region are measured and compared to relative values obtained using rhodamine 101 as Φf standard. Additionally, the absolute Φf values of some red dyes that are among the most commonly used labels in the life sciences are presented as well as the absolute quantum yield of an optical probe for tumor imaging. KW - Fluorescence KW - Photoluminescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Dye KW - Uncertainty KW - Absolute quantum yield KW - Method comparison KW - Integrating sphere KW - NIR KW - Standards KW - Quantum yield standards PY - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/ac2021954 SN - 0003-2700 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 84 IS - 3 SP - 1345 EP - 1352 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-25504 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hodenius, M. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Jayapaul, J. A1 - Wong, J. E. A1 - Lammers, T. A1 - Gätjens, J. A1 - Arns, S. A1 - Mertens, N. A1 - Slabu, I. A1 - Ivanova, G. A1 - Bornemann, J. A1 - De Cuyper, M. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Kiessling, F. T1 - Fluorescent magnetoliposomes as a platform technology for functional and molecular MR and optical imaging N2 - Here, we present a detailed characterisation of rhodamine B-containing magnetoliposomes (FLU-ML), emphasising the dependence of their fluorescence properties on the presence of iron oxide cores, and the molar fraction of the fluorophore. The magnetoliposome types used exist as colloidally stable, negatively charged clusters with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 95 nm. The molar rhodamine B fractions were 0.67 % and 1.97 %. Rhodamine B normalised fluorescence, quantum yields and fluorescence lifetimes were substantially reduced by inner filter effects as the magnetoliposome concentration is increased, by increasing molar rhodamine B fraction, and by quenching originating from the iron oxide cores. MR relaxometry at 3 T revealed extremely high r2 relaxivities (440 to 554 s-1mM-1) and moderately high r1 values (2.06 to 3.59 s-1mM-1). Upon incubating human prostate carcinoma (PC-3) cells with FLU-ML, a dose-dependent particle internalisation was found by MR relaxometry. In addition, the internalised FLU-ML were clearly visible by fluorescence microscopy. At the FLU-ML concentrations used (up to 3 × 103 M Fe) cell viability was not substantially impaired. These results provide valuable insights on the fluorescence properties of bimodal magnetoliposomes and open promising perspectives for the use of these materials as a platform technology for advanced functional and molecular MR and optical imaging applications. KW - Fluorescent magnetoliposomes KW - Steady state and time resolved fluorometry KW - Quantum yield KW - Fluorescence lifetimes KW - MR relaxivities KW - PC-3 cells KW - Cell viability PY - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cmmi.467 SN - 1555-4309 SN - 1555-4317 VL - 7 IS - 1 SP - 59 EP - 67 PB - Wiley CY - Chichester AN - OPUS4-25577 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Natte, Kishore A1 - Behnke, Thomas A1 - Orts Gil, Guillermo A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Friedrich, Jörg Florian A1 - Österle, Werner A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Synthesis and characterisation of highly fluorescent core-shell nanoparticles based on Alexa dyes N2 - Current and future developments in the emerging field of nanobiotechnology are closely linked to the rational design of novel fluorescent nanomaterials, e.g. for biosensing and imaging applications. Here, the synthesis of bright near infrared (NIR)-emissive nanoparticles based on the grafting of silica nanoparticles (SNPs) with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) followed by covalent attachment of Alexa dyes and their subsequent shielding by an additional silica shell are presented. These nanoparticles were investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fluorescence spectroscopy. TEM studies revealed the monodispersity of the initially prepared and fluorophorelabelled silica particles and the subsequent formation of raspberry-like structures after addition of a silica precursor.Measurements of absolute fluorescence quantum yields of these scattering particle suspensions with an integrating sphere setup demonstrated the influence of dye labelling density-dependent fluorophore aggregation on the signaling behaviour of such nanoparticles. KW - Silica KW - Alexa dyes KW - Fluorescent particles KW - Quantum yields KW - Nanoparticles KW - Protective shell KW - Nanobiotechnology PY - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-011-0680-9 SN - 1388-0764 SN - 1572-896X VL - 14 IS - 2 SP - 680-1 - 680-10 PB - Kluwer CY - Dordrecht AN - OPUS4-25872 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 U6 - 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 - Behnke, Thomas A1 - Mathejczyk, J.E. A1 - Brehm, Robert A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Gomes, F.R. A1 - Dullin, C. A1 - Napp, J. A1 - Alves, F. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Target-specific nanoparticles containing a broad band emissive NIR dye for the sensitive detection and characterization of tumor development N2 - Current optical probes including engineered nanoparticles (NPs) are constructed from near infrared (NIR)-emissive organic dyes with narrow absorption and emission bands and small Stokes shifts prone to aggregation-induced self-quenching. Here, we present the new asymmetric cyanine Itrybe with broad, almost environment-insensitive absorption and emission bands in the diagnostic window, offering a unique flexibility of the choice of excitation and detection wavelengths compared to common NIR dyes. This strongly emissive dye was spectroscopically studied in different solvents and encapsulated into differently sized (15, 25, 100 nm) amino-modified polystyrene NPs (PSNPs) via a one-step staining procedure. As proof-of-concept for its potential for pre-/clinical imaging applications, Itrybe-loaded NPs were surface-functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the tumor-targeting antibody Herceptin and their binding specificity to the tumor-specific biomarker HER2 was systematically assessed. Itrybe-loaded NPs display strong fluorescence signals in vitro and in vivo and Herceptin-conjugated NPs bind specifically to HER2 as demonstrated in immunoassays as well as on tumor cells and sections from mouse tumor xenografts in vitro. This demonstrates that our design strategy exploiting broad band-absorbing and -emitting dyes yields versatile and bright NIR probes with a high potential for e.g. the sensitive detection and characterization of tumor development and progression. KW - Nanoparticle KW - Fluorescence KW - In vitro test KW - In vivo test KW - Surface modification KW - Cytotoxicity PY - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.09.028 SN - 0142-9612 VL - 34 IS - 1 SP - 160 EP - 170 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-26877 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Behnke, Thomas A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Laux, Eva-Maria A1 - Hoffmann, Katrin A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Simple strategies towards bright polymer particles via one-step staining procedures N2 - In order to develop simple and versatile procedures for the preparation of red emissive particles, various one-step swelling procedures for the loading of fluorophores into nanometer- and micrometer-sized polystyrene particles were systematically assessed. Parameters studied for model dyes from common dye classes include the composition of the swelling medium, dye charge and polarity, dye concentration, and particle surface chemistry. The dye loading procedures were compared based upon the efficiency of dye incorporation, fluorescence intensity, and colloidal stability of the resulting particles as well as the absence of dye leaking as determined by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, flow cytometry, and measurements of zeta potentials. In addition, for the first time, the influence of the amount of incorporated dye on the absolute fluorescence quantum yield and brightness of the fluorescent particles was investigated for selected chromophores in differently sized particles using a custom-made calibrated integrating sphere setup. Our results demonstrate the general suitability of these one-step loading procedures for efficient particle staining with neutral, zwitterionic, and charged fluorophores like oxazines, coumarines, squaraines, xanthenes, and cyanines emitting in the visible and near infrared. Dye polarity was identified as a suitable tool to estimate the loading efficiency of fluorophores into these polymer particles. KW - Fluorescence KW - Polystyrene KW - Particles KW - Encapsulation KW - Quantum yield KW - Zeta potential KW - Method KW - Label KW - Particle KW - Polymer KW - Absolute fluorescence quantum yield KW - Fluorophore KW - Dye content KW - Surface groups KW - Size KW - Brightness PY - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dyepig.2012.01.021 SN - 0143-7208 SN - 1873-3743 VL - 94 IS - 2 SP - 247 EP - 257 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Kidlington AN - OPUS4-25481 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Borisov, S.M. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Klimant, I. T1 - New life of ancient pigments: Application in high-performance optical sensing materials N2 - Calcium, strontium, and barium copper silicates are demonstrated to possess valuable photophysical properties which make them particularly attractive for application in optical chemosensors. Several examples of sensing materials based on these phosphors are provided. Particularly, broad excitation and near-infrared emission makes them ideal candidates for the preparation of ratiometric sensors based on absorption-based indicators. Due to their excellent chemical and photochemical stability and high brightness, these phosphors can serve as reference for fluorescent indicators to enable ratiometric intensity or dually lifetime referenced measurements. Finally, the moderate temperature dependence of the luminescence decay time enables intrinsic temperature compensation of the sensing materials at ambient temperatures. The improved sensitivity at temperatures above 100 °C makes these new materials promising candidates for high-temperature thermographic phosphors. PY - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/ac402275g SN - 0003-2700 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 85 SP - 9371 EP - 9377 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-29419 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 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-294202 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 - Würth, Christian A1 - Grauel, Bettina A1 - Pons, Monika A1 - Frenzel, Florian A1 - Rissiek, P. A1 - Rücker, Kerstin A1 - Haase, Markus A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Yb- and Er concentration dependence of the upconversion luminescence of highly doped NaYF4:Yb,Er/NaYF4:Lu core/shell nanocrystals prepared by a water-free synthesis N2 - High sensitizer and activator concentrations have been increasingly examined to improve the performance of multi-color emissive upconversion (UC) nanocrystals (UCNC) like NaYF4:Yb,Er and first strategies were reported to reduce concentration quenching in highly doped UCNC. UC luminescence (UCL) is, however, controlled not only by dopant concentration, yet by an interplay of different parameters including size, crystal and shell quality, and excitation power density (P). Thus, identifying optimum dopant concentrations requires systematic studies of UCNC designed to minimize additional quenching pathways and quantitative spectroscopy. Here, we quantify the dopant concentration dependence of the UCL quantum yield (ΦUC) of solid NaYF4:Yb,Er/NaYF4:Lu upconversion core/shell nanocrystals of varying Yb3+ and Er3+ concentrations (Yb3+ series: 20%‒98% Yb3+; 2% Er3+; Er3+ series: 60% Yb3+; 2%‒40% Er3+). To circumvent other luminescence quenching processes, an elaborate synthesis yielding OH-free UCNC with record ΦUC of ~9% and ~25 nm core particles with a thick surface shell were used. High Yb3+ concentrations barely reduce ΦUC from ~9% (20% Yb3+) to ~7% (98% Yb3+) for an Er3+ concentration of 2%, thereby allowing to strongly increase the particle absorption cross section and UCNC brightness. Although an increased Er3+ concentration reduces ΦUC from ~7% (2% Er3+) to 1% (40%) for 60% Yb3+. Nevertheless, at very high P (> 1 MW/cm2) used for microscopic studies, highly Er3+-doped UCNC display a high brightness because of reduced saturation. These findings underline the importance of synthesis control and will pave the road to many fundamental studies of UC materials. KW - Upconverion KW - Nanoparticle KW - Lanthanides KW - Quantum yield PY - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-551346 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-55134 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meng, M. A1 - Zhang, R. A1 - Fa, X. A1 - Yang, J. A1 - Cheng, Z. A1 - Ansari, A. A. A1 - Ou, Jun A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Preparation of core–shell structured NaYF4:Yb3+/ Tm3+@NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles with high sensitivity, low resolution and good reliability and application of their fluorescence temperature properties N2 - A series of NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+@NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles doped with Tm3+ and Er3+ were successfully prepared by the solvothermal method. Under 980 nm laser excitation, intense upconversion emission peaks of Tm3+ and Er3+ were observed for all samples. By doping Tm3+ and Er3+ with core–shell partitioning, not only a significant increase in fluorescence intensity could be achieved, but also simultaneous temperature measurements on multiple thermocouple energy levels could be realised. In addition, the temperature sensing performance of different thermocouple energy levels was also investigated, and it was found that the 3 F3 → 3 H6 and 1 G4 → 3 F4 thermocouple energy level pairs of Tm3+ were the best, with maximum absolute sensitivity and maximum relative sensitivity of up to 0.0250 K−1 and 2.155% K−1 respectively, higher than the sensitivity of other thermocouple energy levels. It has a temperature resolution of less than 0.0139 K, which is lower than that of most materials available today. By using this material as a probe to build a fiber optic temperature sensor platform, it was found to have reliable temperature measurement performance. KW - Flourescence KW - Optical probe KW - Sensor KW - Dye KW - Temperature KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Upconversion KW - Lanthanide KW - Qantum yield KW - Quality assurance KW - Monitoring KW - Infrastructure PY - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ce01729b VL - 24 IS - 9 SP - 1752 EP - 1763 PB - RSC Publishing AN - OPUS4-54416 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ahiboz, D. A1 - Andresen, Elina A1 - Manley, P. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Becker, C. T1 - Metasurface-Enhanced Photon Upconversion upon 1550 nm Excitation N2 - Photon upconversion upon 1550 nm excitation is of high relevance for applications in the third biological excitation window, for photovoltaics beyond current limitations, and enables appealing options in the field of glass Fiber telecommunications. Trivalent doped erbium ions (Er3+) are the material of choice for 1550 nm excited upconversion, however, they suffer from a low absorption cross-section and a low brightness. Therefore, the ability of Silicon metasurfaces to provide greatly enhanced electrical near-fields is employed to enable efficient photon upconversion even at low external Illumination conditions. Hexagonally shaped β-NaYF4:Er3+ nanoparticles are placed on large-area silicon metasurfaces designed to convert near-infrared (1550 nm) to visible light. More than 2400-fold enhanced photon upconversion luminescence is achieved by using this metasurface instead of a planar substrate. With the aid of optical simulations based on the finite-element method, this result is attributed to the coupling of the excitation source with metasurface resonances at appropriate incident angles. Analysis of the excitation power density dependence of upconversion luminescence and red-to-green-emission ratios enables the estimation of nanoscale near-field enhancement on the metasurface. The findings permit the significant reduction of required external excitation intensities for photon upconversion of 1550 nm light, opening perspectives in biophotonics, telecommunication, and photovoltaics. KW - Nano KW - Nanomaterial KW - Upconversion nanoparticle KW - Lanthanide KW - Photoluminescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Photophysics KW - Lifetime KW - Sensor KW - Excitation power density KW - Single particle KW - Brightness KW - NIR KW - Mechanism KW - Single enhancement KW - SWIR KW - Method PY - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-537193 SN - 2195-1071 VL - 9 IS - 24 SP - 2101285 PB - Wiley-VCH-GmbH AN - OPUS4-53719 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meng, M. A1 - Zhang, R. A1 - Fa, X. A1 - Yang, J. A1 - Cheng, Z. A1 - Qiao, X. A1 - Ou, J. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Core−Shell NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+@NaGdF4:Ce3+/Eu3+ Nanoparticles for Upconversion and Downconversion Dual-Mode Fluorescence-Based Temperature Sensing N2 - NaYF4 as the core and NaGdF4 as the outer layer were used to obtain NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+@NaYF4:Ce3+/Eu3+ nanoparticles. Physical and morphological investigations indicated that the obtained nanoparticles were prepared in a hexagonal shape, with the NaGdF4 shell layer uniformly encapsulated on the NaYF4 core. Strong Tm3+ upconversion emission peaks were observed for a 980-nm-laser-excited sample, while strong Eu3+ downconversion emission peaks were observed for a 254-nm-laser-excited sample. By zonal doping of Tm3+ and Eu3+, their fluorescence intensity can be significantly increased; more importantly, simultaneous temperature measurements with dual-mode upconversion/downconversion can be achieved. The temperature measurement properties of the dual mode were also investigated, and it was discovered that the upconversion 3F3 → 3H6 and 1G4 → 3F4 thermocouple energy levels gave the best temperature measurements with maximum absolute and relative sensitivities of 0.0877 K−1 and 1.95% K−1, respectively, which are better than the current temperature measurement sensitivities of most rare-earth-based materials. This material was prepared as fiber-optic temperature-sensing probes to detect the temperature in the environment in real time and was found to perform excellently for temperature measurement. KW - Upconversion nanoparticle KW - Lanthanide KW - Sensing; temperature KW - Photophysics PY - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.2c01611 VL - 5 IS - 7 SP - 9266 EP - 9276 PB - American Chemical Society AN - OPUS4-55363 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Monks, M.-J. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Kemnitz, Erhard A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Dopant ion concentration-dependent upconversion luminescence of cubic SrF2:Yb3+, Er3+ nanocrystals prepared by a fluorolytic sol–gel method N2 - A fluorolytic sol–gel method was used for the fast and simple synthesis of small cubic-phase SrF2:Yb3+, Er3+ upconversion (UC) nanocrystals (UCNC) of different composition at room temperature. Systematic studies of the crystal phase and particle size of this Yb3+,Er3+-concentration series as well as excitation power density (P)-dependent UC luminescence (UCL) spectra, UCL quantum yields (ΦUCL), and UCL decay kinetics yielded maximum UCL performance for doping amounts of Yb3+ of 13.5% and Er3+ of 1.3% in the studied doping and P-range (30–400 W cm−2). Furthermore, ΦUCL were determined to be similar to popular β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+. The relative spectral UCL distributions revealed that all UCNC show a strong red emission in the studied doping and P-range (30–400 W cm−2) and suggest that the UCL quenching pathway for unshelled cubic-phase SrF2:Yb3+,Er3+ UCNC differs from the commonly accepted population and depopulation pathways of β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ UCNC. In SrF2:Yb3+,Er3+ UCNC the 4S3/2 → 4I13/2 transition exhibits a notably stronger sensitivity towards P and reveals increasing values for decreasing Yb3+–Yb3+ distances while the 4I9/2 → 4I15/2 transition is significantly less affected by P and energy migration facilitated UCL quenching. These results emphasize the complexity of the UC processes and the decisive role of the crystal phase and symmetry of the host lattice on the operative UCL quenching mechanism in addition to surface effects. Moreover, the room temperature UCNC synthesis enabled a systematic investigation of the influence of the calcination temperature on the crystal phase of powder-UCNC and the associated UCL properties. Calcination studies of solid UCNC of optimized doping concentration in the temperature range of 175 °C and 800 °C showed the beneficial influence of temperature- induced healing of crystal defects on UCL and the onset of a phase separation connected with the oxygenation of the lanthanide ions at elevated temperature. This further emphasizes the sensitivity of the UC process to the crystal phase and quality of the host matrix. KW - Upconversion nanoparticle KW - Lanthanide KW - Photophysics KW - Synthesis PY - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/d2nr02337g SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-55364 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 U6 - 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 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Hoffmann, Katrin A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Behnke, Thomas A1 - Hoffmann, Angelika A1 - Pfeifer, Dietmar A1 - Engel, A. T1 - The toolbox of fluorescence standards: Flexible calibration tools for the standardization of fluorescence-based measurements N2 - To improve the reliability of fluorescence data in the life and material sciences and to enable accreditation of fluorescence techniques, standardization concepts are required that guarantee and improve the comparability of fluorescence measurements. At the core of such concepts are simple and evaluated fluorescence standards for the consideration of instrument-specific spectral and intensity distortions of measured signals and for instrument performance validation (IPV). Similarly in need are fluorescence intensity standards for the quantification from measured intensities and for signal referencing, thereby accounting for excitation light-induced intensity fluctuations. These standards should be preferably certified, especially for use in regulated areas like medical diagnostics. This encouraged us to develop liquid and solid standards for different fluorescence parameters and techniques for use under routine measurement conditions in different formates. Special emphasis was dedicated to the determination and control of the spectral responsivity of detection systems, wavelength accuracy, homogeneity of illumination, and intensity referencing for e.g. spectrofluorometers, fluorescence sensors and confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopes. Here, we will present design concepts and examples for mono- and multifunctional fluorescence standards that provide traceability to radiometric units and present a first step towards a toolbox of standards. KW - Fluorescence KW - Fluorescence standard KW - Calibration tool KW - Spectral fluorescence standard KW - Intensity standard KW - Instrument performance validation KW - Quality assurance KW - Traceability KW - Glass KW - Liquid standard PY - 2010 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1117/12.853133 SN - 0277-786X SN - 0038-7355 SN - 0361-0748 VL - 7666 IS - 76661J SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Soc. CY - Redondo Beach, Calif. [u.a.] AN - OPUS4-21595 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, X.-X. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Zhao, L. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Ernsting, N.P. T1 - Femtosecond broadband fluorescence upconversion spectroscopy: improved setup and photometric correction N2 - A setup for fluorescence upconversion spectroscopy (FLUPS) is described which has 80 fs temporal response (fwhm) for emission in the spectral range 425–750 nm. Broadband phase matching is achieved with tilted gate pulses at 1340 nm. Background from harmonics of the gate pulse is removed and sensitivity increased compared to previous designs. Photometric calibration of the upconversion process is performed with a set of fluorescent dyes. For Coumarin 153 in methanol the peak position, bandwidth, and asymmetry depending on delay time are reported. KW - Calibration KW - Fluorescence spectroscopy KW - Fluorescence KW - Upconversion KW - Standard KW - Spectral responsivity KW - Time-resolved fluorescence KW - Quality assurance KW - Coumarin 153 KW - Solvation dynamics PY - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3597674 SN - 0034-6748 SN - 1089-7623 VL - 82 SP - 063108-1 EP - 063108-8 PB - American Institute of Physics CY - Melville, NY AN - OPUS4-23886 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -