TY - JOUR A1 - Bhuckory, S. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Qiu, X. A1 - Wu, Y.T. A1 - Jennings, T. L. A1 - Incamps, A. A1 - Hildebrandt, N. T1 - Triplexed CEA-NSE-PSA Immunoassay Using Time-Gated Terbium-to-Quantum Dot FRET N2 - Time-gated Förster resonance energy transfer (TG-FRET) between Tb complexes and luminescent semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) provides highly advantageous photophysical properties for multiplexed biosensing. Multiplexed Tb-to-QD FRET immunoassays possess a large potential for in vitro diagnostics, but their performance is often insufficient for their application under clinical conditions. Here, we developed a homogeneous TG-FRET immunoassay for the quantification of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and prostatespecific antigen (PSA) from a single serum sample by multiplexed Tb-to-QD FRET. Tb–IgG antibody donor conjugates were combined with compact QD-F(ab’)2 antibody acceptor conjugates with three different QDs emitting at 605, 650, and 705 nm. Upon antibody–antigen–antibody Sandwich complex formation, the QD acceptors were sensitized via FRET from Tb, and the FRET ratios of QD and Tb TG luminescence intensities increased specifically with increasing antigen concentrations. Although limits of detection (LoDs: 3.6 ng/mL CEA, 3.5 ng/mL NSE, and 0.3 ng/mL PSA) for the triplexed assay were slightly higher compared to the single-antigen assays, they were still in a clinically relevant concentration range and could be quantified in 50 μL serum samples on a B·R·A·H·M·S KRYPTOR Compact PLUS clinical immunoassay plate reader. The simultaneous quantification of CEA, NSE, and PSA at different concentrations from the same serum sample demonstrated actual multiplexing Tb-to-QD FRET immunoassays and the potential of this technology for translation into clinical diagnostics. KW - Lanthanides KW - Nanoparticles KW - Biosensing KW - Multiplexing KW - FRET KW - Fluorescence KW - PSA KW - NSE KW - CEA PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-512290 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25163679 VL - 25 IS - 16 SP - 3679 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-51229 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kang, Y. A1 - Nack, L. M. A1 - Liu, Y. A1 - Qi, B. A1 - Huang, Y. A1 - Liu, Z. A1 - Chakraborty, I. A1 - Schulz, F. A1 - Ahmed, A. A. A. A1 - Poveda, M. C. A1 - Hafizi, F. A1 - Roy, S. A1 - Mutas, M. A1 - Holzapfel, M. A1 - Sanchez-Cano, C. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Feliu, N. A1 - Parak, W. J. T1 - Quantitative considerations about the size dependence of cellular entry and excretion of colloidal nanoparticles for different cell types N2 - Most studies about the interaction of nanoparticles (NPs) with cells have focused on how the physicochemical properties of NPs will influence their uptake by cells. However, much less is known about their potential excretion from cells. However, to control and manipulate the number of NPs in a cell, both cellular uptake and excretion must be studied quantitatively. Monitoring the intracellular and extracellular amount of NPs over time (after residual noninternalized NPs have been removed) enables one to disentangle the influences of cell proliferation and exocytosis, the major pathways for the reduction of NPs per cell. Proliferation depends on the type of cells, while exocytosis depends in addition on properties of the NPs, such as their size. Examples are given herein on the role of these two different processes for different cells and NPs. KW - Cell proliferation KW - Exocytosis KW - Gold nanoparticles KW - Quantum dots KW - Fluorescence KW - Uptake studies PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-543476 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40828-021-00159-6 SN - 2199-3793 VL - 8 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-54347 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kang, Y. A1 - Nack, L. A1 - Liu, Y. A1 - Qi, B. A1 - Huang, Y. A1 - Liu, Z. A1 - Chakraborty, I. A1 - Schulz, F. A1 - Ahmed, A. A. A1 - Poveda, M. C. A1 - Hafizi, F. A1 - Roy, S. A1 - Mutas, M. A1 - Holzapfel, M. A1 - Sanchez-Cano, C. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Feliu, N. A1 - Parak, W. J. T1 - Correction to: Quantitative considerations about the size dependency for cellular entry and excretion of colloidal nanoparticles for different cell types N2 - We regret to inform that the labels "NPs which remain in endosomes/lysosomes" and "exocytosed NPs" had been erroneously swapped in the sketch on the right side in Figure 2. The corrected Fig. 2 is displayed below. WJP apologizes for this error. PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-554519 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40828-022-00168-z VL - 8 IS - 17 SP - 1 EP - 2 PB - Springer CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-55451 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Godard, A. A1 - Kalot, G. A1 - Privat, M. A1 - Bendellaa, M. A1 - Busser, B. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Denat, F. A1 - Le Guevel, X. A1 - Coll, J.-L. A1 - Paul, C. A1 - Bodio, E. A1 - Goze, C. A1 - Sancey, L. T1 - NIR-II Aza-BODIPY Dyes Bioconjugated to Monoclonal Antibody Trastuzumab for Selective Imaging of HER2-Positive Ovarian Cancer N2 - Using fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) to cytoreductive surgery helps achieving complete resection of microscopic ovarian tumors. The use of visible and NIR-I fluorophores has led to beneficial results in clinical trials; however, involving NIR-II dyes seems to outperform those benefits due to the deeper tissue imaging and higher signal/noise ratio attained within the NIR-II optical window. In this context, we developed NIR-II emitting dyes targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive ovarian tumors by coupling water-soluble NIR-II aza-BODIPY dyes to the FDA-approved anti-HER2 antibody, namely, trastuzumab. These bioconjugated NIR-II-emitting dyes displayed a prolonged stability in serum and a maintained affinity toward HER2 in vitro. We obtained selective targeting of HER2 positive tumors (SKOV-3) in vivo, with a favorable tumor accumulation. We demonstrated the fluorescence properties and the specific HER2 binding of the bioconjugated dyes in vivo and thus their potential for NIR-II FGS in the cancer setting. KW - NIR-II KW - Fluorescent dye KW - In vivo imaging KW - Ovarian cancer KW - Antibody conjuagtes KW - Bioimaging PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00100 SN - 0022-2623 VL - 66 IS - 7 SP - 5185 EP - 5195 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-57293 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chazeau, E. A1 - Fabre, C. A1 - Privat, M. A1 - Godard, A. A1 - Racoeur, C. A1 - Bodio, E. A1 - Busser, B. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Sancey, L. A1 - Paul, C. A1 - Goze, C. T1 - Comparison of the In Vitro and In Vivo Behavior of a Series of NIR-II-Emitting Aza-BODIPYs Containing Different Water-Solubilizing Groups and Their Trastuzumab Antibody Conjugates N2 - The development of new fluorescent organic probes effective in the NIR-II region is currently a fast-growing field and represents a challenge in the domain of medical imaging. In this study, we have designed and synthesized an innovative series of aza-boron dipyrromethenes emitting in the NIR-II region. We have investigated the effect of different water-solubilizing groups not only on the photophysical properties of the compounds but also on their in vitro and in vivo performance after bioconjugation to the antibody trastuzumab. Remarkably, we discovered that the most lipophilic compound unexpectedly displayed the most favorable in vivo properties after bioconjugation. This underlines the profound influence that the fluorophore functionalization approach can have on the efficiency of the resulting imaging agent. KW - NIR-II KW - In vivo imaging KW - Fluorescence KW - Spectroscopy KW - Antibody conjugates PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02139 SN - 1520-4804 VL - 67 IS - 5 SP - 3679 EP - 3691 PB - ACS Publications CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-59607 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Hildebrandt, N. T1 - Near infrared quantum dots for biosensing and bioimaging N2 - Quantum dots (QDs) possess unique optoelectronic properties, which make them very attractive to be used as optical probes in biosensing and bioimaging applications. The strong absorbance and light scattering of biological compounds like tissue and blood in the visible range pose a problem. However, if optical probes emitting in the near-infrared (NIR) range are used, scattering, absorption, and autofluorescence of biological components are strongly reduced. This allows for an increased light penetration depth and higher spatial and temporal resolution for the investigation of biological processes. The synthesis and application of NIR emitting QDs is a fast-growing research field and the benefits of using QDs were demonstrated for a variety of applications, such as photoelectrochemical biosensor, in vivo vascular imaging, and fluorescence-guided surgery. This article reviews the state-of-the-art developments in the preparation of NIR/IR QDs and highlights the latest research about their utilization in biosensing and bioimaging applications. KW - Quantum dots KW - Near-infrared KW - Biosensing KW - Bioimaging KW - NIR-II / SWIR KW - Advanced nanomaterials PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-609708 SN - 0165-9936 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2024.117922 VL - 180 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-60970 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jin, Z. A1 - Geißler, Daniel A1 - Qiu, X. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Hildebrandt, N. T1 - A rapid, amplification-free, and sensitive diagnostic assay for single-step multiplexed fluorescence detection of microRNA N2 - The importance of microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation for the development and progression of diseases and the discovery of stable miRNAs in peripheral blood have made these short-sequence nucleic acids next-generation biomarkers. Here we present a fully homogeneous multiplexed miRNA FRET assay that combines careful biophotonic design with various RNA hybridization and ligation steps. The single-step, single-temperature, and amplification-free assay provides a unique combination of performance parameters compared to state-of-the-art miRNA detection technologies. Precise multiplexed quantification of miRNA-20a, -20b, and -21 at concentrations between 0.05 and 0.5 nm in a single 150 mL sample and detection limits between 0.2 and 0.9 nm in 7.5 mL serum samples demonstrate the feasibility of both highthroughput and point-of-care clinical diagnostics. KW - Clinical diagnostics KW - FRET KW - MicroRNA KW - Multiplexing KW - Time-gated fluorescence detection PY - 2015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201504887 SN - 1433-7851 SN - 1521-3773 VL - 54 IS - 34 SP - 10024 EP - 10029 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-44837 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Santos, C.I.L. A1 - Machado, W.S. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Gontijo, L.A.P. A1 - Bettini, J. A1 - Schiavon, M.A. A1 - Reiss, P. A1 - Aldakov, D. T1 - Hydrothermal Synthesis of Aqueous-Soluble Copper Indium Sulfide Nanocrystals and Their Use in Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells N2 - facile hydrothermal method to synthesize water-soluble copper indium sulfide (CIS) nanocrystals (NCs) at 150 degrees C is presented. The obtained samples exhibited three distinct photoluminescence peaks in the red, green and blue spectral regions, corresponding to three size fractions, which could be separated by means of size-selective precipitation. While the red and green emitting fractions consist of 4.5 and 2.5 nm CIS NCs, the blue fraction was identified as in situ formed carbon nanodots showing excitation wavelength dependent emission. When used as light absorbers in quantum dot sensitized solar cells, the individual green and red fractions yielded power conversion efficiencies of 2.9% and 2.6%, respectively. With the unfractionated samples, the efficiency values approaching 5% were obtained. This improvement was mainly due to a significantly enhanced photocurrent arising from complementary panchromatic absorption. KW - Aqueous quantum dot KW - Solar cells KW - CUINS2 nanocrystals KW - Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-517983 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10071252 VL - 10 IS - 7 SP - 1252 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-51798 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Geißler, Daniel A1 - Linden, S. A1 - Liermann, K. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Charbonnière, L.J. A1 - Hildebrandt, N. T1 - Lanthanides and quantum dots as Förster resonance energy transfer agents for diagnostics and cellular imaging N2 - Luminescent lanthanide labels (LLLs) and semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are two very special classes of (at least partially) inorganic fluorophores, which provide unique properties for Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). FRET is an energy-transfer process between an excited donor fluorophore and a ground-state acceptor fluorophore in close proximity (approximately 1–20 nm), and therefore it is extremely well suited for biosensing applications in optical spectroscopy and microscopy. Within this cogent review, we will outline the main photophysical advantages of LLLs and QDs and their special properties for FRET. We will then focus on some recent applications from the FRET biosensing literature using LLLs as donors and QDs as donors and acceptors in combination with several other fluorophores. Recent examples of combining LLLs and QDs for spectral and temporal multiplexing from single-step to multistep FRET demonstrate the versatile and powerful biosensing capabilities of this unique FRET pair. As this review is published in the Forum on Imaging and Sensing, we will also present some new results of our groups concerning LLL-based time-gated cellular imaging with optically trifunctional antibodies and LLL-to-QD FRET-based homogeneous sandwich immunoassays for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen. PY - 2014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/ic4017883 SN - 0020-1669 SN - 1520-510X VL - 53 IS - 4 SP - 1824 EP - 1838 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-31182 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chazeau, E. A1 - Pipier, A. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Ghiringhelli, F. A1 - Sancey, L. A1 - Paul, C. A1 - Goze, C. T1 - NIR-II aza-BODIPY Platform for the Development of a Fluorescent Antibody Drug Conjugate N2 - Real-time imaging of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) offers valuable insights for assessing tumor targeting specificity, monitoring therapeutic efficacy, and detecting off-target accumulation that may cause adverse effects. To enable precise tracking, we developed a versatile fluorescent platform based on an NIR-II emitting aza-BODIPY dye, which can be site-specifically grafted onto an IgG1 antibody to generate well-defined fluorescent ADCs. As a proof of concept, we synthesized an HER2-targeting trastuzumab immunoconjugate bearing a NIR-II aza-BODIPY fluorophore. The cytotoxic monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) payload was introduced in the final step, resulting in a trackable and homogeneous ADC suitable for both in vitro and in vivo investigations. The resulting Trastu-azaNIRII-MMAE selectively accumulated in HER2-positive subcutaneous tumors, significantly reducing the tumor growth. Using NIR-II optical imaging, a single injection of the NIR-II-ADC allowed for the detection of the conjugate over a period of more than one month, highlighting its potential for long-term tracking and therapeutic applications. KW - NIR-II KW - Fluorescence KW - Quality assurance KW - Antibody drug conjugate KW - In vivo imaging PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c02777 VL - 68 IS - 7 SP - 7232 EP - 7242 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-63025 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wang, P. A1 - Morales-Marquez, R. A1 - Cervas, G. A1 - Hernandez Medel, A. A1 - Ogayar, M. P. A1 - Jimenez de Aberasturi, D. A1 - de Isidro-Gomez, A. I. A1 - Torres-Padro, A. A1 - Palomares, F. J. A1 - Garcia-Orrit, S. A1 - Sousa, C. T. A1 - Espinosa, A. A1 - Telle, H. H. A1 - Ortgies, D. H. A1 - Vega-Mayoral, V. A1 - Cabanillas-Gonzalez, J. A1 - Rodriguez, E. M. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Juarez, B. H. T1 - The role of temperature in the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of Ag2S-based nanocrystals N2 - Highly emissive Ag2S nanocrystals (NCs) passivated with a gradated shell incorporating Se and Zn were synthesized in air, and the temperature dependence of their photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) was quantified in both organic and aqueous media at B1200 nm. The relevance of this parameter, measured at physiological temperatures, is highlighted for applications that rely on the near infrared (NIR) photoluminescence of NCs, such as deep NIR imaging or luminescence nanothermometry. Hyperspectral NIR imaging shows that Ag2S-based NCs with a PLQY in organic media of about 10% are inefficient for imaging at 40 8C through 20 mm thick tissue with low laser irradiation power densities. In contrast, water-transferred Ag2S-based NCs with an initial PLQY of 2% in water exhibit improved robustness against temperature changes, enabling improved imaging performance. KW - Quantum dots KW - Ag2S KW - Fluorescence KW - Nanomaterial design KW - Advanced nanomaterials KW - Shortwave infrared (SWIR) KW - Temperature sensing PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-613877 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D4MH01016G SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-61387 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bertorelle, F. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Berkulic, M. P. A1 - Fakhouri, H. A1 - Comby-Zerbino, C. A1 - Sagar, A. A1 - Bernadó, P. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Bonacic-Koutecký, V. A1 - Le Guével, X. A1 - Antoine, R. T1 - Tailoring the NIR-II Photoluminescence of Single Thiolated Au25 Nanoclusters by Selective Binding to Proteins N2 - Atomically precise gold nanoclusters are a fascinating class of nanomaterials that exhibit molecule-like properties and have outstanding photoluminescence (PL). Their ultrasmall size, molecular chemistry, and biocompatibility make them extremely appealing for selective biomolecule labeling in investigations of biological mechanisms at the cellular and anatomical levels. In this work, we report a simple route to incorporate a preformed Au25 nanocluster into a model bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein. A new approach combining small-angle X-ray scattering and molecular modeling provides a clear localization of a single Au25 within the protein to a cysteine residue on the gold nanocluster surface. Attaching Au25 to BSA strikingly modifies the PL properties with enhancement and a redshift in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window. This study paves the way to conrol the design of selective sensitive probes in biomolecules through a ligand-based strategy to enable the optical detection of biomolecules in a cellular environment by live imaging. KW - Fluorescence KW - Aggregation KW - Signal enhancement KW - Cluster KW - Nano KW - Metal KW - NIRII KW - SWIR KW - Sensor KW - Quantum yield KW - Lifetime KW - Photophysics KW - Synthesis KW - Protein KW - Imaging KW - Bioimaging KW - Ligand KW - Gold PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202200570 SN - 1521-3765 VL - 28 IS - 39 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-55077 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Geißler, Daniel A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Fischer, C. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Exploring Simple Particle-Based Signal Amplification Strategies in a Heterogeneous Sandwich Immunoassay with Optical Detection N2 - Heterogeneous sandwich immunoassays are widely used for biomarker detection in bioanalysis and medical diagnostics. The high analyte sensitivity of the current “gold standard” enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) originates from the signal-generating enzymatic amplification step, yielding a high number of optically detectable reporter molecules. For future point-of-care testing (POCT) and point-of-need applications, there is an increasing interest in more simple detection strategies that circumvent time-consuming and temperature-dependent enzymatic reactions. A common concept to aim for detection limits comparable to those of enzymatic amplification reactions is the usage of polymer nanoparticles (NP) stained with a large number of chromophores. We explored different simple NP-based signal amplification strategies for heterogeneous sandwich immunoassays that rely on an extraction-triggered release step of different types of optically detectable reporters. Therefore, streptavidinfunctionalized polystyrene particles (PSP) are utilized as carriers for (i) the fluorescent dye coumarin 153 (C153) and (ii) hemin (hem) molecules catalyzing the luminol reaction enabling chemiluminescence (CL) detection. Additionally, (iii) NP labeling with hemin-based microperoxidase MP11 was assessed. For each amplification approach, the PSP was first systematically optimized regarding size, loading concentration, and surface chemistry. Then, for an immunoassay for the inflammation marker C- eactive protein (CRP), the analyte sensitivity achievable with optimized PSP ystems was compared with the established ELISA concept for photometric and CL detection. Careful optimization led to a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 ng/mL for MP11-labeled PSP and CL detection, performing similarly well to a photometric ELISA (0.13 ng/mL), which demonstrates the huge potential of our novel assay concept. KW - Nanoparticle KW - Fluorescence KW - Immunoassay KW - Quality assurance KW - Antibody KW - Polymer KW - Dye KW - Signal enhancement KW - CRP KW - Biosensing PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-597853 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03691 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 96 IS - 13 SP - 5078 EP - 5085 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Columbus, Ohio AN - OPUS4-59785 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yu, Z. A1 - Musnier, B. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Henry, M. A1 - Chovelon, B. A1 - Desroches-Castan, A. A1 - Fertin, A. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Bailly, S. A1 - Coll, J.-L. A1 - Usson, Y, A1 - Josserand, V. A1 - Le Gúevel, X. T1 - High-Resolution Shortwave Infrared Imaging of Vascular Disorders Using Gold Nanoclusters N2 - We synthesized a generation of water-soluble, atomically precise gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) with anisotropic Surface containing a short dithiol pegylated chain (AuMHA/TDT). The AuMHA/TDT exhibit a high brightness (QY ∼ 6%) in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectrum with a detection above 1250 nm. Furthermore, they show an extended half-life in blood (t1/2ß = 19.54 ± 0.05 h) and a very weak accumulation in organs. We also developed a non-invasive, whole-body vascular imaging system in the SWIR window with high-resolution, benefiting from a series of Monte Carlo image processing. The imaging process enabled to improve contrast by 1 order of magnitude and enhance the spatial Resolution by 59%. After systemic administration of these nanoprobes in mice, we can quantify vessel complexity in depth (>4 mm), allowing to detect very subtle vascular disorders non-invasively in bone morphogenetic protein 9 (Bmp9)-deficient mice. The combination of these anisotropic surface charged Au NCs plus an improved SWIR imaging device allows a precise mapping at high-resolution and an in depth understanding of the organization of the vascular network in live animals. KW - Nanoparticle KW - Nanosensor KW - Fluorescence KW - Metal cluster KW - NIR KW - SWIR KW - Photophysics KW - Ligand KW - Size KW - Surface chemistry KW - Quantum yield KW - Mechanism KW - Lifetime KW - Decay kinetics PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.0c01174 VL - 14 IS - 4 SP - 4973 EP - 4981 PB - ACS Publication AN - OPUS4-50671 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wang, Z. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Stiegler, L. M. S. A1 - Zhou, X. A1 - Rezvani, A. A1 - Odungat, A. S. A1 - Zubiri, B. A. A1 - Wu, M. A1 - Spiecker, E. A1 - Walter, J. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Segets, D. T1 - Optimizing the Shelling Process of InP/ZnS Quantum Dots Using a Single-Source Shell Precursor: Implications for Lighting and Display Applications N2 - InP/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs), recognized as highly promising heavy-metal-free emitters, are increasingly being utilized in lighting and display applications. Their synthesis in a tubular flow reactor enables production in a highly efficient, scalable, and reproducible manner, particularly when combined with a single-source shell precursor, such as zinc diethyldithiocarbamate (Zn(S2CNEt2)2). However, the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of QDs synthesized with this route remains significantly lower compared with those synthesized in batch reactors involving multiple steps for the shell growth. Our study identifies the formation of absorbing, yet nonemissive ZnS nanoparticles during the ZnS shell formation process as a main contributing factor to this discrepancy. By varying the shelling conditions, especially the shelling reaction temperature and InP core concentration, we investigated the formation of pure ZnS nanoparticles and their impact on the optical properties, particularly PLQY, of the resultant InP/ZnS QDs through ultraviolet−visible (UV−vis) absorption, steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) measurements. Our results suggest that process conditions, such as lower shelling temperatures or reduced InP core concentrations (resulting in a lower external surface area), encourage homogeneous nucleation of ZnS. This reduces the availability of shell precursors necessary for effective passivation of the InP core surfaces, ultimately resulting in lower PLQYs. These findings explain the origin of persistently underperforming PLQY of InP/ZnS QDs synthesized from this synthesis route and suggest further optimization strategies to improve their emission for lighting and display applications. KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Synthesis KW - InP KW - Shell KW - Fluorescence KW - Quantum yield KW - ZnS KW - Semiconductor KW - Quantum dot KW - Flow reactor KW - Method KW - AUC KW - Size KW - Automation KW - Sensor PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.4c05265 SN - 2574-0970 VL - 7 IS - 20 SP - 24262 EP - 24273 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-61518 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 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Quantum dots N2 - The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Aleksey I. Ekimov (prize share 1/3), Louis E. Brus (prize share 1/3), and Moungi G. Bawendi (prize share 1/3) for groundbreaking inventions in the field of nanotechnology, i.e., for the discovery and synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals, also termed quantum dots, that exhibit size-dependent physicochemical properties enabled by quantum size effects. This feature article summarizes the main milestones of the discoveries and developments of quantum dots that paved the road to their versatile applications in solid-state lighting, display technology, energy conversion, medical diagnostics, bioimaging, and image-guided surgery. KW - Quantum dots KW - Semiconductor nanocrystals KW - Luminescence KW - Quantitative spectroscopy KW - Quantum yield KW - Advanced nanomaterials KW - Quality assurance KW - Energy transfer PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-597843 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-024-05225-9 VL - 2024 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Springer CY - Cham AN - OPUS4-59784 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mohammad, W. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Comby-Zerbino, C. A1 - Trouillet, V. A1 - Ogayer, M. P. A1 - Coll, J.-L. A1 - Marin, R. A1 - Jaque Garcia, D. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Antoine, R. A1 - Le Guevel, X. T1 - Enhanced brightness of ultra-small gold nanoparticles in the second biological window through thiol ligand shell control N2 - Gold-based nanoparticles below 2 nm in size are promising as luminescent probes for in vivo bioimaging, owing to their brightness and rapid renal clearance. However, their use as contrast agents in the near-infrared II (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) range remains challenging due to their low photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield. To address this, PL enhancement can be achieved by either rigidifying the ligand-shell structure or increasing the size of the ligand shell. In this study, we synthesized ultra-small gold nanoparticles stabilized by co-ligands, namely monothiol and short dithiol molecules. By precisely controlling the amount of reducing agent used during particle preparation, we successfully modulated the physicochemical properties of the co-ligand shell, including its size, composition, and structure. Consequently, we achieved a remarkable 60-fold increase in the absorption cross-section at 990 nm while maintaining the small size of the 1.5-nm metal core. The analytical and optical characterization of our thiol-capped gold nanoparticles indicates that the ligand shell size is governed by the quantity of the reducing agent, which, in turn, impacts the balance between radiative and non-radiative processes, thereby influencing the PL quantum yield. KW - Gold nanocluster KW - NIR-II fluorescence KW - SWIR KW - Nanomaterial design KW - Calibrated fluorescence measurements PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-588117 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D3TC03021K SN - 2050-7526 VL - 11 IS - 42 SP - 14714 EP - 14724 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-58811 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stiegler, L. M. S. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Weigert, Florian A1 - Peukert, W. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Walter, J. T1 - Analysis of Giant-Shell CdSe/CdS Quantum Dots via Analytical Ultracentrifugation Combined with Spectrally Resolved Photoluminescence N2 - Knowledge of the structure–property relationships of functional nanomaterials, including, for example, their size- and composition-dependent photoluminescence (PL) and particle-to-particle variations, is crucial for their design and reproducibility. Herein, the Angstrom-resolution capability of an analytical ultracentrifuge combined with an in-line multiwavelength emission detection system (MWE-AUC) for measuring the sedimentation coefficient-resolved spectrally corrected PL spectra of dispersed nanoparticles is demonstrated. The capabilities of this technique are shown for giant-shell CdSe/CdS quantum dots (g-QDs) with a PL quantum yield (PL QY) close to unity capped with oleic acid and oleylamine ligands. The MWE-AUC PL measurements are calibrated and validated with certified fluorescence standards. The spectrally corrected and size-dependent PL spectra of the g-QDs derived from a single MWE-AUC experiment are then analyzed and compared with the results of single-particle spectroscopic studies, yielding the PL spectra, decay kinetics, and blinking behavior of individual g-QDs. This study underlines the vast potential of MWE-AUC with in-line optical detection for the characterization of advanced nanomaterials with a complex structure. KW - Quantum dots KW - Analytical ultracentrifugation KW - Photoluminescence KW - Advanced nanomaterial characterization KW - Calibrated fluorescence measurements KW - Reference materials PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-624357 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202401700 SN - 2366-9608 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Wiley VHC-Verlag AN - OPUS4-62435 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scholtz, Lena A1 - Eckert, J. G. A1 - Graf, Rebecca T. A1 - Kunst, A. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Bigall, N. C. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Correlating semiconductor nanoparticle architecture and applicability for the controlled encoding of luminescent polymer microparticles N2 - Luminophore stained micro- and nanobeads made from organic polymers like polystyrene (PS) are broadly used in the life and material sciences as luminescent reporters, for bead-based assays, sensor arrays, printable barcodes, security inks, and the calibration of fluorescence microscopes and flow cytometers. Initially mostly prepared with organic dyes, meanwhile luminescent core/shell nanoparticles (NPs) like spherical semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are increasingly employed for bead encoding. This is related to their narrower emission spectra, tuneability of emission color, broad wavelength excitability, and better photostability. However, correlations between particle architecture, morphology, and photoluminescence (PL) of the luminescent nanocrystals used for encoding and the optical properties of the NP-stained beads have been rarely explored. This encouraged us to perform a screening study on the incorporation of different types of luminescent core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals into polymer microparticles (PMPs) by a radical-induced polymerization reaction. Nanocrystals explored include CdSe/CdS QDs of varying CdS shell thickness, a CdSe/ZnS core/shell QD, CdSe/CdS quantum rods (QRs), and CdSe/CdS nanoplatelets (NPLs). Thereby, we focused on the applicability of these NPs for the polymerization synthesis approach used and quantified the preservation of the initial NP luminescence. The spectroscopic characterization of the resulting PMPs revealed the successful staining of the PMPs with luminescent CdSe/CdS QDs and CdSe/CdS NPLs. In contrast, usage of CdSe/CdS QRs and CdSe QDs with a ZnS shell did not yield luminescent PMPs. The results of this study provide new insights into structure–property relationships between NP stained PMPs and the initial luminescent NPs applied for staining and underline the importance of such studies for the performance optimization of NP-stained beads. KW - Quantitative spectroscopy KW - Energy transfer KW - Synthesis KW - Surface chemistry KW - Semiconductor quantum dot KW - Luminescence KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Quantum yield KW - Lifetime KW - Quality assurance KW - Polymer particle KW - Quantum rod KW - Nanoplatelet PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-602206 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-62591-1 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 14 SP - 1 EP - 16 AN - OPUS4-60220 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Godard, A. A1 - Kalot, G. A1 - Pliquett, J. A1 - Busser, B. A1 - Le Guével, X. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Russelin, Y. A1 - Coll, J.-L. A1 - Denat, F. A1 - Bodio, E. A1 - Goze, C. A1 - Sancey, L. T1 - Water-Soluble Aza-BODIPYs: Biocompatible Organic Dyes for High Contrast In Vivo NIR-II Imaging N2 - A simple NIR-II emitting water-soluble system has been developed and applied in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, the fluorophore quickly accumulated in 2D and 3D cell cultures and rapidly reached the tumor in rodents, showing high NIR-II contrast for up to 1 week. This very efficient probe possesses all the qualities necessary for translation to the clinic as well as for the development of NIR-II emitting materials. KW - Aza-BODIPY KW - NIR-II Imaging KW - In vivo imaging KW - organic dyes KW - SWIR KW - Cancer KW - Fluorescence PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00175 VL - 31 IS - 4 SP - 1088 EP - 1092 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-50695 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Kalot, G. A1 - Busser, B. A1 - Pliquett, J. A1 - Köster, U. A1 - Koll, J. C. A1 - Denat, F. A1 - Bodio, E. A1 - Goze, C. A1 - Sacey, L. T1 - NIR aza-BODIPY: a new vector for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) N2 - Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) relies on the activation of 10B by thermal neutrons, which results in small highly energetic particle emission inducing cancer cells damage. However, in order to overcome the limits of the currently used BNCT agents, it is necessary to design new systems, which can specifically accumulate and deliver a sufficient amount of 10B in tumors. In this study, we designed a 10B-BSH-containing aza-BODIPY (aza-SWIR-BSH). It enabled the efficient vectorization of clinically used 10B-BSH to the tumor, resulting in higher therapeutic activity than the 10B-BSH alone. T2 - EMIM 2021 CY - Göttingen, Germany DA - 24.08.2021 KW - Flourescence KW - Optical probe KW - Dye KW - Photophysics KW - Quantum yield KW - Mechanism KW - NIR KW - SWIR KW - Imaging KW - Method KW - Quality assurance KW - BODIPY KW - Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) KW - Medicine KW - Life sciences PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53731 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rezvani, A. A1 - Wang, Z. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Soltanmoradi, H. A1 - Kichigin, A. A1 - Zhou, X. A1 - Gantenberg, T. A1 - Schram, J. A1 - Zubiri, B. A. A1 - Spiecker, E. A1 - Walter, J. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Segets, D. T1 - Separation of Indium Phosphide/Zinc Sulfide Core−Shell Quantum Dots from Shelling Byproducts through Multistep Agglomeration N2 - Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) possess unique electronic and optical properties, making them promising candidates for applications in lightemitting diodes, solar cells, bioimaging, and photocatalysis. Precise control over their size, shape, and chemical and electronic structure is crucial to ensure the desired functional properties and optimize device performance. However, challenges in QD synthesis and post-synthesis modification persist, especially in large-scale production. This study addresses the classification of QDs synthesized in a tubular flow reactor consisting of a mixture of the desired InP/ZnS core−shell QDs and QDs made from the shell material, i.e., here ZnS QDs formed as a byproduct during the formation step of the ZnS shell. The homogeneous nucleation of ZnS nanoparticles from the shelling material introduces a heterogeneity in size and composition and affects the optical properties of the resulting QDs. To address this issue, we developed a size-selective agglomeration (SSA) technique by incrementally introducing ethanol as a poor solvent and classified the synthesized QDs into 13 distinct fractions. These 13 fractions are sorted into three distinct groups: (i) larger InP/ZnS QDs, (ii) a combination of smaller InP/ZnS QDs and larger ZnS QDs, and (iii) predominant ZnS QDs with some very tiny InP/ZnS QDs. The comprehensive characterization of the fractions was conducted using UV−visible absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, total reflection X-ray fluorescence, and analytical ultracentrifugation. We could demonstrate that our method effectively separated unwanted ZnS QDs from the target InP/ZnS QDs. In addition, the fractions enriched in smaller InP/ZnS QDs exhibited a higher photoluminescence quantum yield compared to the fractions with larger QDs. This demonstrates the efficacy of SSA in finetuning the composition of QD mixtures produced on a larger scale to improve their functional properties. This approach provides fundamental understanding toward the development of a scalable two-dimensional classification process for such ultrasmall nanoparticles by particle size and composition. KW - Quality assurance KW - Reference material KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Quantum dot KW - Synthesis KW - Flow reactor KW - InP KW - Shell KW - ZnS KW - Surface chemistry KW - Method KW - Fluorescence KW - Quantum yield KW - TEM PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c18530 SN - 1936-086X VL - 19 IS - 20 SP - 19080 EP - 19094 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-63215 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Soares, J. X. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Ribeiro, D. S. M. A1 - Melo, A. A1 - Häusler, I. A1 - Santos, J. L. M. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Rationally designed synthesis of bright AgInS2/ZnS quantum dots with emission control N2 - In the blossoming field of Cd-free semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), ternary I–III–VI QDs have received increasing attention due to the ease of the environmentally friendly synthesis of high-quality materials in water, their high photoluminescence (PL) Quantum yields (QYs) in the red and near infrared (NIR) region, and their inherently low toxicity. Moreover, their oxygen-insensitive long PL lifetimes of up to several hundreds of nanoseconds close a gap for applications exploiting the compound-specific parameter PL lifetime. To overcome the lack of reproducible synthetic methodologies and to enable a design-based control of their PL properties, we assessed and modelled the synthesis of high-quality MPA-capped AgInS2/ZnS (AIS/ZnS) QDs. Systematically refined Parameters included reaction time, temperature, Ag:In ratio, S:In ratio, Zn:In ratio, MPA:In ratio, and pH using a design-of-experiment approach. Guidance for the optimization was provided by mathematical models developed for the application-relevant PL parameters, maximum PL wavelength, QY, and PL lifetime as well as the elemental composition in terms of Ag:In:Zn ratio. With these experimental data-based models, MPA:In and Ag:In ratios and pH values were identified as the most important synthesis parameters for PL Control and an insight into the connection of these parameters could be gained. Subsequently, the experimental conditions to synthetize QDs with tunable emission and high QY were predicted. The excellent agreement between the predicted and experimentally found PL features confirmed the reliability of our methodology for the rational design of high quality AIS/ZnS QDs with defined PL features. This approach can be straightforwardly extended to other ternary and quaternary QDs and to doped QDs. KW - Modelling KW - Nanoparticle KW - AIS KW - Semiconductor quantum dot KW - Design of experiment KW - Photoluminescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Surface chemistry KW - Synthesis KW - Lifetime PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-510075 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2876-8 VL - 13 IS - 9 SP - 2438 EP - 2450 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-51007 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kalot, G. A1 - Godard, A. A1 - Busser, B. A1 - Pliquett, J. A1 - Broekgaarden, M. A1 - Motto-Ros, V. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Köster, U. A1 - Denat, F. A1 - Coll, J.-L. A1 - Bodio, E. A1 - Goze, C. A1 - Sancey, L. T1 - Aza-BODIPY: A New Vector for Enhanced Theranostic Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Applications N2 - Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a radiotherapeutic modality based on the nuclear capture of slow neutrons by stable 10B atoms followed by charged particle Emission that inducing extensive damage on a very localized level (<10 um). To be effcient, a suffcient amount of 10B should accumulate in the tumor area while being almost cleared from the normal surroundings. A water-soluble aza-boron-dipyrromethene dyes (BODIPY) fluorophore was reported to strongly accumulate in the tumor area with high and BNCT compatible Tumor/Healthy Tissue ratios. The clinically used 10B-BSH (sodium borocaptate) was coupled to the water-soluble aza-BODIPY platform for enhanced 10B-BSH tumor vectorization. We demonstrated a strong uptake of the compound in tumor cells and determined its biodistribution in mice-bearing tumors. A model of chorioallantoic membrane-bearing glioblastoma xenograft was developed to evidence the BNCT potential of such compound, by subjecting it to slow neutrons. We demonstrated the Tumor accumulation of the compound in real-time using optical imaging and ex vivo using elemental imaging based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. The tumor growth was significantly reduced as compared to BNCT with 10B-BSH. Altogether, the fluorescent aza-BODIPY/10B-BSH compound is able to vectorize and image the 10B-BSH in the tumor area, increasing its theranostic potential for effcient approach of BNCT. KW - Aza-BODIPY KW - SWIR KW - NIR-I KW - Theranostic KW - Boron compound KW - Optical imaging PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-512280 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9091953 VL - 9 IS - 9 SP - 1953 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-51228 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Walter, J. T1 - Size-resolved emission properties of core/shell CdSe/CdS quantum dots via multiwavelength emission analytical ultracentrifugation N2 - Colloids provide manifold opportunities for targeted product design due to their tunable properties with respect to size, shape, composition, surface, and spectral characteristics. However, the determination of structure-property relationships is quite challenging as most particulate samples exhibit polydispersity of their disperse properties. Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a fractionating technique and highly accurate method for the multidimensional analysis of nanoparticles as it permits the differentiation of spectral information linked to hydro- and thermodynamic properties of the particles. So far, characterization capabilities for fluorescent nanoparticles by AUC were limited, as the formerly commercially available fluorescence detector could not provide any spectral information. Using a multiwavelength emission detector developed in our group, it is possible to extract spectra of fluorescent particles and biomolecules alongside their sedimentation and diffusion coefficients within a single centrifugation experiment. In our contribution, we will highlight that even narrowly distributed core/shell CdSe/CdS quantum dots still show size- and structure-dependent shifts of their fluorescence spectra, which can be resolved with our AUC system in an ensemble measurement. Thereby, we can link spectral changes of only a few nanometers to particle sizes retrieved with Angstrom size resolution. Single-particle measurements not only supported the results obtained with the AUC system but also provided deeper insights into the photophysical processes of individual QDs, clearly demonstrating the complementary nature of the techniques used. With our novel multiwavelength emission detector and the established extinction-based detector for AUC, a comprehensive platform for the holistic characterization of fluorescent colloids is now available. T2 - 26th International Analytical Ultracentrifugation Symposium CY - Bad Staffelstein, Germany DA - 24.07.2024 KW - Quantum dots KW - Analytical ultracentrifugation KW - Reference materials KW - Calibrated fluorescence measurements KW - Size-resolved emission PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60814 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Frenzel, Florian A1 - Weigert, Florian A1 - Andresen, Elina A1 - Grauel, Bettina A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - Semiconductor (SCNC) & Upconversion Nanocrystals (UCNC) – Optical Properties, Applications & Challenges N2 - Inorganic nanocrystals with linear and nonlinear luminescence in the ultraviolet, visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared like semiconductor quantum dots and spectrally shifting lanthanide-based nanophosphors have meanwhile found applications in the life and material sciences ranging from optical reporters for bioimaging and sensing over security barcodes to solid state lighting and photovoltaics. These nanomaterials commonly have increasingly sophisticated core/shell particle architectures with shells of different chemical composition and thickness to minimize radiationless deactivation at the particle surface that is usually the main energy loss mechanism [1]. For lanthanide-based spectral shifters, particularly for very small nanoparticles, also surface coatings are needed which protect near-surface lanthanide ions from luminescence quenching by high energy vibrators like O-H groups and prevent the disintegration of these nanoparticles under high dilution conditions. [2,3,4]. The identification of optimum particle structures requires quantitative spectroscopic studies focusing on the key performance parameter photoluminescence quantum yield [5,6], ideally flanked by single particle studies to assess spectroscopic inhomogeneities on a particle-to-particle level for typical preparation methods [7], Moreover, in the case of upconversion nanoparticles with a multi-photonic and hence, excitation power density (P)-dependent luminescence, quantitative luminescence studies over a broad P range are required to identify particle architectures that are best suited for applications in fluorescence assays up to fluorescence microscopy. Here, we present methods to quantify the photoluminescence of these different types of emitters in the vis/NIR/SWIR and as function of Pand demonstrate the importance of such measurements for a profound mechanistic understanding of the nonradiative deactivation pathways in semiconductor and upconversion nanocrystals of different size and particle architecture in different environments. T2 - 27th Annual Meeting of the Slovenian Chemical Society CY - Portoroz-Portorose, Slovenia DA - 21.09.2021 KW - Nano KW - Nanomaterial KW - Upconversion nanoparticle KW - Lanthanide KW - Photoluminescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Photophysics KW - Lifetime KW - Surface chemistry KW - Single particle KW - Brightness KW - NIR KW - Synthesis KW - Semiconductur KW - Quantum dot KW - Nanocrystal KW - SWIR PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53723 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - Advancing Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) Emission N2 - There is a growing interest in the exploitation of the short-wave infrared (SWIR), which refers to the wavelength band of light between 900 nm and 2500 nm. Luminophores that emit in the SWIR are used in various areas of telecommunications, photovoltaics, security systems (night vision), and in biomedicine. In particular for biomedical applications, the SWIR range is highly promising because light scattering, absorption, and autofluorescence of tissue and biological compounds are strongly reduced compared to the visible (400–700 nm) and NIR (~700–900 nm). The benefits of SWIR-emissive QDs have been demonstrated for a variety of applications, such as in thermal sensing, as photoelectrochemical biosensor, in in vivo vascular imaging, and for fluorescence-guided surgery.[1] Full exploitation of SWIR photoluminescence (PL) imaging and sensing is currently hampered by i.) a lack of suitable advanced nanomaterials with a high PL quantum yield (PL QY) and a high brightness, that can be used safely in vivo and ii.) a lack of quantitative and reliable data on the optical properties of many SWIR emitters. Promising nanomaterials for the SWIR are heavy metal-free Ag2S quantum dots (QDs). Aiming for the development of SWIR advanced nanomaterials with optimum performance, we have dived deeper into the photophysical processes occurring in these nanomaterials, thereby exploring in depth how the environment such as temperature, surface ligand composition, and the incorporation of transition metals influence the optical properties Ag2S QDs. We observed a strong enhancement of the SWIR emission of upon addition of metal ions such as Zn2+, yielding PL quantum yields of about 10% and thus making them highly suitable for non-invasive deep imaging of vascular networks and 3D fluid flow mapping. T2 - Anakon 2025 CY - Leipzig, Germany DA - 10.03.2025 KW - Quantum dots KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - SWIR KW - Fluorescence KW - Temperature KW - Ag2S KW - Quality assuarance KW - Ligand KW - Sensor PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62769 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - Luminescent Nanoparticles – From Photophysics to the Measurement of Photoluminescence Quantum Yields N2 - Inorganic nanocrystals with linear and nonlinear photoluminescence in the ultraviolet, visible, near infrared and short-wave infrared like spectrally shifting lanthanide-based nanoparticles (LnNCs) like NaYF4: Yb, Er and semiconductor quantum dots have meanwhile found applications in the life and material sciences ranging from optical reporters for bioimaging and sensing over security barcodes to solid state lighting and photovoltaics. The identification of optimum particle architectures for photonic applications requires quantitative spectroscopic studies, ideally flanked by single particle studies to assess spectroscopic inhomogeneities on a particle-to-particle level for typical preparation methods. In the following, photoluminescence studies of LnNCs are presented, addressing parameters such as particle size, surface coating, and dopant ion concentration as well as excitation power density mandatory for a profound mechanistic understanding of the nonradiative deactivation pathways in these nanocrystals. In addition, methods for the determination of particle brightness and photoluminescence quantum yield in different spectral windows are presented. T2 - Phoenix Colloquium CY - Hannover, Germany DA - 22.06.2023 KW - Semiconductor quantum dot KW - Upconversation nanocrystal KW - Luminescence KW - Quantitative spectroscopy KW - Photophysics KW - Quality assurance KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Quantum yield KW - Lifetime KW - Standard KW - Reference material KW - Surface analysis KW - Quantification PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57797 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - Luminescent Quantum dots – the next-generation nano light bulbs N2 - Fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals, also known as quantum dots (QDs), enabled many advancements in biotechnology, photovoltaics, photocatalysis, quantum computing and display devices. The high versatility of this nanomaterial is based on their unique size-tunable photoluminescence properties, which can be adjusted from the visible to the near-infrared range. In contrast to other nanomaterials, QDs made the transition from a laboratory curiosity to the utilization in commercial products, like the QLED television screen or in smartphone displays. The best investigated QDs are composed of heavy metals like cadmium or lead, which is not the best choice in terms of toxicity and environmental pollution. A more promising material is Indium Phosphide (InP), which is also currently used by Samsung, Sony and co. in the QLED displays. In this contribution, I would like to give you a sneak peek behind the curtains of nanomaterial synthesis and show how this material is produced, how to stabilize their structural properties, and assess their toxicity in environmentally relevant conditions. Furthermore, I would like to present a synthesis method to accomplish the last open challenge in display technology of a blue luminescent LED based on QDs by introducing a new element to the InP QDs. T2 - The Berlin Postdoc Day CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 03.11.2022 KW - InP KW - Quantum dots KW - Fluorescence KW - Aging KW - Doping KW - Nanomaterial KW - Cytotoxicity PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56194 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - Exploring the photoluminescence of gold NCs and Ag2S NPs to boost their SWIR emission N2 - Current challenges and objectives for non-invasive optical bioimaging are deep tissue penetration, high detection sensitivity, high spatial and temporal resolution, and fast data acquisition. A promising spectral window to tackle these challenges is the short-wave infrared (SWIR) ranging from 900 nm to 1700 nm where scattering, absorption, and autofluorescence of biological components are strongly reduced compared to the visible/NIR. At present, the best performing SWIR contrast agents are based on nanomaterials containing toxic heavy-metal ions like cadmium or lead, which raises great concerns for biological applications. Promising heavy-metal free nanoscale candidates are gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) and Ag2S nanoparticles (NPs). The photoluminescence (PL) of both types of nanomaterials is very sensitive to their size, composition of their surface ligand shell, and element composition, which provides an elegant handle to fine-tune their absorption and emission features and boost thereby the size of the signals recorded in bioimaging studies. Aiming for the development of SWIR contrast agents with optimum performance, we dived deeper into the photophysical processes occurring in these nanomaterials, thereby exploring in depth how the environment, surface ligand composition, and the incorporation of transition metals influence the optical properties of AuNCs and Ag2S NPs. We observed a strong enhancement of the SWIR emission of AuNCs upon exposure to different local environments (in solution, polymer, and in the solid state). Addition of metal ions such as Zn2+ to Ag2S based NPs led to a strong PL enhancement, yielding PL quantum yields of about 10% and thus making them highly suitable for non-invasive deep imaging of vascular networks and 3D fluid flow mapping. T2 - NaNaX 10 - Nanoscience with Nanocrystals CY - Klosterneuburg, Austria DA - 03.07.2023 KW - Quantum dots KW - Ag2S KW - Fluorescence KW - SWIR KW - Gold nanocluster KW - Nanomaterial KW - bioimaging PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58104 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Goryacheva, O. A. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Sobolev, A. M. A1 - Häusler, I. A1 - Gaponik, N. A1 - Gorycheva, I. Y. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Influence of particle architecture on the photoluminescence properties of silica‑coated CdSe core/shell quantum dots N2 - Light-emitting nanoparticles like semiconductor nanocrystals (termed quantum dots, QDs) are promising candidates for biosensing and bioimaging applications based on their bright and stable photoluminescent properties. As high-quality QDs are often synthesized in organic solvents, strategies needed to be developed to render them water-dispersible without affecting their optical properties and prevent changes in postmodification steps like the biofunctionalization with antibodies or DNA. Despite a large number of studies on suitable surface modification procedures, the preparation of water-soluble QDs for nanobiotechnology applications still presents a challenge. To highlight the advantages of surface silanization, we systematically explored the influence of the core/multishell architecture of CdSe/CdS/ZnS QDs and the silanization conditions on the optical properties of the resulting silanized QDs. Our results show that the optical properties of silica-coated CdSe/CdS/ZnS QDs are best preserved in the presence of a thick CdS (6 monolayers (ML)) intermediate shell, providing a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY), and a relatively thick ZnS (4.5 ML) external shell, effectively shielding the QDs from the chemical changes during silica coating. In addition to the QD core/shell architecture, other critical parameters of the silica-coating process, that can have an influence on the optical properties of the QD, include the choice of the surfactant and its concentration used for silica coating. The highest PL QY of about 46% was obtained by a microemulsion silica-coating procedure with the surfactant Brij L4, making these water-dispersible QDs to wellsuited optical reporters in future applications like fluorescence immunoassays, biomedicine, and bioimaging. KW - Nano KW - Nanomaterial KW - Particle KW - Semiconductor KW - Quantum do KW - Photoluminescence KW - Photophysics KW - Lifetime KW - Sensor KW - Mechanism KW - Surface KW - Shell KW - Silica KW - Silanization KW - Synthesis PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-022-04005-7 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-54546 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Pauli, J. A1 - Güttler, Arne A1 - Richter, Maria A1 - Fiedler, Saskia A1 - Frenzel, Florian A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Würth, Christian T1 - Photoluminescence Quantum Yields of Luminescent Nanocrystals and Particles in the UV/vis/NIR/SWIR N2 - The rational design of functional luminescent materials such as semiconductor quantum dots and lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles, all photophysical and mechanistic studies, and the comparison of different emitters require accurate and quantitative photoluminescence measurements. Particularly the reliable determination of the key performance parameter photoluminescence quantum yield (f), the number of emitted per absorbed photons, and the brightness are of special importance for luminescence applications in the life and material sciences and nano(bio)photonics.[1] In this context, examples for absolute measurements of the photoluminescence quantum yields of UV/vis/NIR/SWIR emissive semiconductor quantum dots and rods, made from different materials, and spectrally shifting lanthanide upconversion nanocrystals with different surface chemistries in transparent matrices are presented including excitation wavelength and power density dependent studies utilizing integration sphere spectroscopy.[2,3] In addition, procedures for the absolute determination of the photoluminescence quantum yields of scattering dispersions of larger size quantum rods and differently sized inorganic particles have been developed as well as procedures for the characterization of solid luminescent nanomaterials such as different perovskites and YAG:Cer converter materials.[4] Thereby, challenges and pitfalls of f measurements in different wavelength regions including the SWIR and material-specific effects related to certain emitter classes are addressed, achievable uncertainties are quantified, and relative and absolute measurements of photoluminescence quantum yield measurements are compared to underline limitations of the former approach. Finally, a set of novel UV/vis/NIR quantum yield standards is presented including their certification with a complete uncertainty budget.[5] T2 - NANAX 10 CY - Klosterneuburg, Austria DA - 03.07.2023 KW - Fluorescence KW - Optical spectroscopy KW - Reference data KW - Traceability KW - NIR KW - Scattering KW - Reference material KW - Certification KW - Quality assurance KW - Dye KW - Reference product KW - SWIR KW - Nano KW - Particle KW - Perovskite KW - Integrating sphere spectroscopy KW - Quantum yield PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58238 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - SWIR luminescent nanomaterials – key chemical parameters for bright probes for in vivo bioimaging N2 - A current challenge for studying physio-pathological phenomena and diseaserelated processes in living organisms with non-invasive optical bioimaging is the development of bright optical reporters that enable deep tissue penetration, a high detection sensitivity, and a high spatial and temporal resolution. The focus of this project are nanomaterials, which absorb and emit in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) between ~900–2500 nm where scattering, absorption, and autofluorescence of the tissue are strongly reduced compared to the visible and NIR. T2 - QD2024 - 12th International Conference on Quantum Dots CY - Munich, Germany DA - 18.03.2024 KW - Quantum dots KW - Advanced nanomaterials KW - Fluorescence KW - Quality assurance KW - Gold nanocluster KW - Shortwave infrared KW - Spectroscopy KW - Bioimaging PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-59783 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rodriguez, Santiago A1 - Kumanski, Sylvain A1 - Ayed, Zeineb A1 - Fournet, Aurélie A1 - Bouanchaud, Charlène A1 - Sagar, Amin A1 - Allemand, Frédéric A1 - Baulin, Vladimir A. A1 - Resch‐Genger, Ute A1 - Cortés, Juan A1 - Sibille, Nathalie A1 - Chirot, Fabien A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Antoine, Rodolphe A1 - Le Guével, Xavier A1 - Bernadó, Pau T1 - Programming the Optoelectronic Properties of Atomically Precise Gold Nanoclusters Using the Conformational Landscape of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins N2 - The rational design of hybrid nanomaterials with precisely controlled properties remains a central challenge in materials science. While atomically precise gold nanoclusters (Au‐NCs) offer molecule‐like control over a metallic core, tuning their optoelectronic behavior via surface engineering is often empirically driven. Here, we establish a design principle by demonstrating that the conformational landscape of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP) can be used as a programmable scaffold to rationally modulate the photophysical properties of a covalently bound Au‐NC. We synthesized a series of bioconjugates between Au 25 nanoclusters and bioengineered IDPs containing a variable number of cysteine anchoring points. A combination of mass spectrometry, small‐angle X‐ray scattering, and modeling on the conjugates indicates that increasing the number of covalent anchors systematically restricts the conformational ensemble, inducing a progressively more compact protein shell around nanoclusters. This structural rigidification at the interface directly translates into a 15‐fold enhancement of the Au‐NC near‐infrared photoluminescence and a six‐fold increase in its average lifetime. Our findings demonstrate that the conformational plasticity of IDPs and the capacity to engineer them can be harnessed as a molecular tuning knob, moving to a new regime of programmable soft‐matter control over the properties of quantum‐confined nanomaterials for tailored biotechnological applications. KW - Fluorescence KW - Custer KW - Nano KW - Advanced material KW - Characterization KW - Fluorescence quantum yield KW - Integrating sphere spectroscopy KW - Thiol ligands KW - Gold KW - Surface chemistry KW - SWIR KW - Mass spectrometry KW - Protein PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655086 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502991 SN - 0947-6539 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Wiley VHC-Verlag AN - OPUS4-65508 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Tamang, S. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Reiss, P. ED - Alivisatos, P. ED - Jang, E. ED - Ma, R. T1 - Quantum Dot Material Systems, Compositional Families N2 - Following the discovery of the quantum confinement effect in the early 1980s, it took more than 10 years to be able to synthesize monodisperse colloidal quantum dots (QDs) using organometallic chemistry approaches. The researchers behind these pioneering works, Alexey Ekimov, Louis Brus, and Moungi Bawendi, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2023, exactly 30 years after the seminal report on the preparation of cadmium chalcogenide QDs. From the synthetic point of view, this approach, relying on the fast injection of a chalcogenide precursor dissolved in a tertiary phosphine into a hot solution of the cadmium precursor in a coordinating solvent (trioctylphosphine oxide, TOPO) acting at the same time as surface ligand, was revolutionary. It enabled the fast synthesis of wellcrystallized CdS, CdSe, and CdTe QDs of low size dispersion and high colloidal stability, whose size and hence optical and electronic properties could be conveniently tuned with the reaction time. Due to the comparable ease of this method and the later developed shelling procedures with ZnS, ZnSe, CdS, and mixtures or alloys of these materials, CdSe has become the workhorse for the entire QD field, covering the whole visible range of absorption and emission. Meanwhile, several breakthroughs have been achieved, which enabled us to bring QDs to their maturity of today and integrate them in several applications, in particular those relying on their exceptional luminescence properties, such as biological imaging as well as displays and screens. For such real-life applications, the quest for less toxic, safer-to-use, and environmentally friendly materials is of utmost importanceand a highly active research field. The use of cadmium- and lead-based materials is severely restricted by regulations such as the RoHS directive of the European Union: the maximum concentrations of lead and cadmium are 0.1 and 0.01% by weight, respectively, in all homogeneous materials in electrical and electronicequipment. Several families of alternative materials have been explored, with the most important ones for display technologies being indium phosphide (InP)- and ternary chalcopyrite-type QDs. KW - Quantum dots KW - Photoluminescence KW - LED KW - Display technology PY - 2025 SN - 978-1-394-18187-2 SP - 23 EP - 62 PB - John Wiley & Sons Ltd. AN - OPUS4-64675 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ahmed, A. A. A. A1 - Alegret, N. A1 - Almeida, B. A1 - Alvarez-Puebla, R. A1 - Andrews, A. M. A1 - Ballerini, L. A1 - Barrios-Capuchino, J. J. A1 - Becker, C. A1 - Blick, R. H. A1 - Bonakdar, S. A1 - Chakraborty, I. A1 - Chen, X. A1 - Cheon, J. A1 - Chilla, G. A1 - Conceicao, A. L. C. A1 - Delehanty, J. A1 - Dulle, M. A1 - Efros, A. L. A1 - Epple, M. A1 - Fedyk, M. A1 - Feliu, N. A1 - Feng, M. A1 - Fernandez-Chacon, R. A1 - Fernandez-Cuesta, I. A1 - Fertig, N. A1 - Förster, S. A1 - Garrido, J. A. A1 - George, M. A1 - Guse, A. H. A1 - Hampp, N. A1 - Harberts, J. A1 - Han, J. A1 - Heekeren, H. R. A1 - Hofmann, U. G. A1 - Holzapfel, M. A1 - Hosseinkazemi, H. A1 - Huang, Y. A1 - Huber, P. A1 - Hyeon, T. A1 - Ingebrandt, S. A1 - Ienca, M. A1 - Iske, A. A1 - Kang, Y. A1 - Kasieczka, G. A1 - Kim, D.-H. A1 - Kostarelos, K. A1 - Lee, J.-H. A1 - Lin, K.-W. A1 - Liu, S. A1 - Liu, X. A1 - Liu, Y. A1 - Lohr, C. A1 - Mailänder, V. A1 - Maffongelli, L. A1 - Megahed, S. A1 - Mews, A. A1 - Mutas, M. A1 - Nack, L. A1 - Nakatsuka, N. A1 - Oertner, T. G. A1 - Offenhäusser, A. A1 - Oheim, M. A1 - Otange, B. A1 - Otto, F. A1 - Patrono, E. A1 - Peng, B. A1 - Picchiotti, A. A1 - Pierini, F. A1 - Pötter-Nerger, M. A1 - Pozzi, M. A1 - Pralle, A. A1 - Prato, M. A1 - Qi, B. A1 - Ramos-Cabrer, P. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Ritter, N. A1 - Rittner, M. A1 - Roy, S. A1 - Santoro, F. A1 - Schuck, N. W. A1 - Schulz, F. A1 - Seker, E. A1 - Skiba, M. A1 - Sosniok, M. A1 - Stephan, H. A1 - Wang, R. A1 - Wang, T. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Weiss, P. S. A1 - Xu, M. A1 - Yang, C. A1 - Zargarin, S. S. A1 - Zeng, Y. A1 - Zhou, Y. A1 - Zhu, D. A1 - Zierold, R. A1 - Parak, W. J. T1 - Interfacing with the Brain: How Nanotechnology Can Contribute N2 - Interfacing artificial devices with the human brain is the central goal of neurotechnology. Yet, our imaginations are often limited by currently available paradigms and technologies. Suggestions for brain−machine interfaces have changed over time, along with the available technology. Mechanical levers and cable winches were used to move parts of the brain during the mechanical age. Sophisticated electronic wiring and remote control have arisen during the electronic age, ultimately leading to plug-and-play computer interfaces. Nonetheless, our brains are so complex that these visions, until recently, largely remained unreachable dreams. The general problem, thus far, is that most of our technology is mechanically and/or electrically engineered, whereas the brain is a living, dynamic entity. As a result, these worlds are difficult to interface with one another. Nanotechnology, which encompasses engineered solid-state objects and integrated circuits, excels at small length scales of single to a few hundred nanometers and, thus, matches the sizes of biomolecules, biomolecular assemblies, and parts of cells. Consequently, we envision nanomaterials and nanotools as opportunities to interface with the brain in alternative ways. Here, we review the existing literature on the use of nanotechnology in brain−machine interfaces and look forward in discussing perspectives and limitations based on the authors’ expertise across a range of complementary disciplines from neuroscience, engineering, physics, and chemistry to biology and medicine, computer science and mathematics, and social science and jurisprudence. We focus on nanotechnology but also include information from related fields when useful and complementary. KW - Nanoneuro interface KW - Brain-on-a-chip KW - Nanostructured interface KW - Electrode arrays KW - Neuro-implants KW - Advanced nanomaterials KW - Quality assurance PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-634893 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c10525 SN - 1936-086X VL - 19 IS - 11 SP - 10630 EP - 10717 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-63489 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - El-Dahshan, O. A1 - Deniaud, A. A1 - Ling, W. L. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Proux, O. A1 - Veronesi, G. A1 - Reiss, P. T1 - Hydrothermal microwave synthesis of water soluble NIR-II emitting Ag2S quantum dots N2 - Hydrothermal-based synthetic methods of quantum dots allow for the exploration of reaction parameters normally inaccessible to typical aqueous-based batch reactions, such as elevated reaction temperatures (>100 °C) and reaction pressures above atmospheric pressure. Coupled with microwave heating, new instantaneously bio-compatible quantum dots (QDs) with enhanced opitcal properties can be yielded. As of today, aqueous-based synthetic methods often lag behind their organic analogues in terms of the photophysical properties of the QDs obtained and the ease of modulation of both the emission wavelength and crystallite size. Using a novel microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach, the synthesis of silver sulphide (Ag2S) QDs exhibiting NIR emission spanning the biological transparency windows via modulation of the reaction parameters has been developed. The intrinsic link between their optical and structural properties is explored via laboratory and synchrotron-based structural analysis techniques. Their toxicity towards a hepatic cell line was assessed, and related back to their structure and size. Overall this work aims to not only further develop the repertoire of synthetic methods for the synthesis of Ag2S QDs, but also paves the way for the development of safer QDs suitable for future clinical applications. KW - Quantum dots KW - Microwave synthesis KW - Quality assurance KW - NIR-II emission KW - PL quantum yield KW - Ag2S PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-634825 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr00052a SN - 2040-3372 VL - 17 IS - 24 SP - 14637 EP - 14646 PB - RSC AN - OPUS4-63482 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - Ag₂S nanocrystals as next-generation, heavy-metal free SWIR emitter for biomedical imaging and sensing applications N2 - There is a growing interest in the exploitation of the short-wave infrared (SWIR), which refers to the wavelength band of light between 900 nm and 2500 nm. Luminophores that emit in the SWIR are used in various areas of telecommunications, photovoltaics, security systems (night vision), and in biomedicine. In particular for biomedical applications, the SWIR range is highly promising because light scattering, absorption, and autofluorescence of tissue and biological compounds are strongly reduced compared to the visible (400–700 nm) and NIR (~700–900 nm). The benefits of SWIR-emissive QDs have been demonstrated for a variety of applications, such as in thermal sensing, as photoelectrochemical biosensor, in in vivo vascular imaging, and for fluorescence-guided surgery. Full exploitation of SWIR photoluminescence (PL) imaging and sensing is currently hampered by i.) a lack of suitable advanced nanomaterials with a high PL quantum yield (PL QY) and a high brightness, that can be used safely in vivo and ii.) a lack of quantitative and reliable data on the optical properties of many SWIR emitters. Promising nanomaterials for the SWIR are heavy metal-free Ag2S quantum dots (QDs). Aiming for the development of SWIR advanced nanomaterials with optimum performance, we have dived deeper into the photophysical processes occurring in these nanomaterials, thereby exploring in depth how the environment such as temperature, surface ligand composition, and the incorporation of transition metals influence the optical properties Ag2S QDs. We observed a strong enhancement of the SWIR emission of upon addition of metal ions such as Zn2+, yielding PL quantum yields of about 10% and thus making them highly suitable for non-invasive deep imaging of vascular networks and 3D fluid flow mapping. T2 - Shining a light on biomedical and energy applications (Shift) CY - Tenerife, Spain DA - 13.10.2025 KW - Quantum dots KW - Short-wave infrared KW - SWIR KW - Spectroscopy KW - Photoluminescence KW - Quantum yield PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64673 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Musnier, B. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Comby-Zerbino, C. A1 - Trouillet, V. A1 - Jourdan, M. A1 - Häusler, I. A1 - Antoine, R. A1 - Coll, J.-L. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Le Guevel, X. T1 - High photoluminescence of shortwave infrared-emitting anisotropic surface charged gold nanoclusters N2 - Incorporating anisotropic surface charges on atomically precise gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) led to a strong absorption in the nearinfrared region and could enable the formation of self-assembled Au NCs xhibiting an intense absorption band at ∼1000 nm. This surface modification showed a striking enhancement of the photoluminescence in the Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) region with a quantum yield as high as 6.1% in water. KW - Gold nanoclusters KW - SWIR photoluminescence KW - Self-assembly PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/C9NR04120F VL - 11 IS - 25 SP - 12092 EP - 12096 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-48305 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Pouget, S. A1 - Ling, W. L. A1 - Carriere, M. A1 - Reiss, P. T1 - Gallium – a versatile element for tuning the photoluminescence properties of InP quantum dots N2 - With the goal to tune the emission properties of colloidal InP quantum dots, the incorporation of Ga was explored. Unexpectedly, depending on the nature of the gallium precursor, the photoluminescence shifted either to the red (gallium oleate) or to the blue (gallium acetylacetonate). In the first case, larger-sized InP/GaP core/shell nanocrystals were formed, while in the second case the formation of an InGaP alloy structure enabled the blue range of emission (475 nm) to be accessed. KW - Indium phosphide KW - Quantum dots KW - Gallium doping PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC09740B VL - 55 IS - 11 SP - 1663 EP - 1666 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-48306 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Moros, M. A1 - Castillo-Michel, H. A1 - Materra, L. A1 - Onorato, G. A1 - Ling, W. L. A1 - Reiss, P. A1 - Tortiglione, C. T1 - In Vivo Biotransformations of Indium Phosphide Quantum Dots Revealed by X‑Ray Microspectroscopy N2 - Many attempts have been made to synthesize cadmium-free quantum dots (QDs), using nontoxic materials, while preserving their unique optical properties. Despite impressive advances, gaps in knowledge of their intracellular fate, persistence, and excretion from the targeted cell or organism still exist, precluding clinical applications. In this study, we used a simple model organism (Hydra vulgaris) presenting a tissue grade of organization to determine the biodistribution of indium phosphide (InP)-based QDs by X-ray fluorescence imaging. By complementing elemental imaging with In L-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure, unique information on in situ chemical speciation was obtained. Unexpectedly, spectral profiles indicated the appearance of In−O species within the first hour post-treatment, suggesting a fast degradation of the InP QD core in vivo, induced mainly by carboxylate groups. Moreover, no significant difference in the behavior of bare core QDs and QDs capped with an inorganic Zn(Se,S) gradient shell was observed. The results paralleled those achieved by treating animals with an equivalent dose of indium salts, confirming the preferred bonding type of In3+ ions in Hydra tissues. In conclusion, by focusing on the chemical identity of indium along a 48 h long journey of QDs in Hydra, we describe a fast degradation process, in the absence of evident toxicity. These data pave the way to new paradigms to be considered in the biocompatibility assessment of QD-based biomedical applications, with greater emphasis on the dynamics of in vivo biotransformations, and suggest strategies to drive the design of future applied materials for nanotechnology-based diagnosis and therapeutics. KW - Indium phosphide KW - Quantum dots KW - Cytotoxicity KW - X-ray microspectroscopy PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b15433 VL - 11 IS - 39 SP - 35630 EP - 35640 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-49425 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Dussert, F. A1 - Truffier-Boutry, D. A1 - Benayad, A. A1 - Beal, D. A1 - Mattera, L. A1 - Ling, W. L. A1 - Carrière, M. A1 - Reiss, P. T1 - Influence of the Core/Shell Structure of Indium Phosphide Based Quantum Dots on Their Photostability and Cytotoxicity N2 - With the goal to improve their photostability, InP-based QDs are passivated with three types of inorganic shells, namely (i) a gradient ZnSexS1−x shell, (ii) an additional ZnS shell on top of the gradient shell with two different thicknesses (core/shell/shell, CSS), (iii) an alumina coating on top of ZnS. All three systems have photoluminescence Quantum yields (PLQY) > 50%and similar PL decay times (64–67 ns). To assess their photostability they are incorporated into a transparent poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix and exposed to continuous irradiation with simulated sunlight in a climate chamber. The alumina coated core/shell system exhibits the highest stability in terms of PLQY Retention as well as the lowest shift of the PL maximum and lowest increase of the PL linewidth, followed by the CSS QDs and finally the gradient shell system. By means of XPS studies we identify the degradation of the ZnS outer layer and concomitant xidation of the emissive InZnP core as the main origins of degradation in the gradient structure. These modifications do not occur in the case of the alumina-capped sample, which exhibits excellent chemical stability. The gradient shell and CSS systems could be transferred to the aqueous phase using surface ligand exchange with penicillamine. Cytotoxicity studies on human primary keratinocytes revealed that exposure for 24 h to 6.25–100 nM of QDs did not affect cell viability. However, a trend toward reduced cell proliferation is observed for higher concentrations of gradient shell and CSS QDs with a thin ZnS shell, while CSS QDs with a thicker ZnS shell do not exhibit any impact. KW - Indium phosphide KW - Quantum dots KW - Cytotoxicity KW - Photostability PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-494249 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2019.00466 VL - 7 SP - Article Number: 466 PB - Frontiers Media SA AN - OPUS4-49424 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - Tuning the photoluminescence of inp quantum dots with gallium N2 - Semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots, QDs) are well known for their superior photophysical properties and enabled advancements in several key technologies of the 21st century and numerous technological applications. However, the most studied II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals contain the toxic heavy metal element cadmium, which is limiting their utilization in commercial applications. This has drawn the interest to alternative materials with less toxicity but having similar photophysical features. The newest generation of TV screens based on QDs have shown that there is a promising environmentally friendly alternative with similar optoelectronic properties, namely indium phosphide (InP) QDs. InP QDs possess a bulk band gap of 1.35 eV with an exciton Bohr radius of ca. 10 nm and thus allow to tune their photoluminescence (PL) from the visible to the near-infrared. Tuning the size and shape of InP QDs and thus tailor their optoelectronic properties can be achieved by different strategies, which range from different types and concentrations of precursors, synthesis temperature or post-synthetic manipulations like etching. The incorporation of other elements like Gallium within the InP core synthesis is another possibility. Using a GaP intermediate layer before growing a ZnS shell has been shown to increase the PL quantum yield, which has been attributed to reduced lattice strain and the removal of phosphor vacancies. Different Ga precursors were investigated but a thorough investigation in terms of their reactivity, localization in the QD and influence on the photophysical properties is lacking to date. In this contribution we will present the detailed investigation of the presence of two different Ga precursors within the InP core synthesis. Photophysical characterizations (steady-state and PL life-time measurements), transmission electron microscopy, XRD and EDX gave insights into the reactivity of the Ga precursors, the Ga localization in the InP core and influences on the photophysical properties. The variation of the precursor and surfactant concentration and the utilization of different ligands for the Ga precursor allowed tuning the PL emission towards the blue or the red. Depending on the used precursor type we observed the formation of larger-sized InP/GaP core/shell nanocrystals or the formation of InGaP alloy structures enabling to assess the blue range of emission (475 nm). T2 - Zsigmondy Colloquium CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 10.07.2019 KW - Indium phosphide KW - Quantum dots KW - Gallium doping PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49426 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - Influence of the ZnSe thickness on the photophysical properties of large-size InP/ZnSe/ZnS core-shell QDs N2 - Semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots, QDs) are well known for their superior optoelectronic properties and enabled advancements in several key technologies of the 21st century. II-VI QDs containing the heavy metal element cadmium plaid a central role in this research area. Due to the concerns regarding their toxic potential, the European Union will ban cadmium in 2020 from use in any consumer product. Due to their comparable optoelectronic properties and a more environmentally friendly character, indium phosphide based QDs (InP-QDs) are a promising alternative. Their large application potential was already shown in their utilization in the newest commercial TV screens. A vital role for highly luminescent QDs for such an application plays the growth of a surface passivating shell around the InP core. The combination of InP/ZnSe/ZnS in so-called core/shell/shell materials exploits the advantages of a small lattice mismatch (3.3%) between InP and ZnSe and the large band gap of ZnS to efficiently confine the excitons in the core and to increase the overall chemical stability. Using a thin ZnSe layer and a thick ZnS shell has shown to improve the optical properties of InP QDs and only recently, the prevention of blinking and mono-exponential decay kinetics could be achieved with a thick ZnSe Shell. In our contribution, we investigated the influence of the thickness of the intermediate ZnSe layer (1 to 8 monolayers (ML)) on the photophysical properties of InP/ZnSe/ZnS core/shell/shell QDs with a final size of about 10 nm on the ensemble and the single-particle level. By rendering these InP QDs water-soluble, we were able to compare their properties in the organic and aqueous phase and further studied their toxicological potential depending on the chemical composition of their surface shell. T2 - Nanoscience with nanocrystals (NaNaX) 9 CY - Hamburg, Germany DA - 16.09.2019 KW - Indium phosphide KW - Quantum dots KW - Core-shell structures KW - Single-particle measurements PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49427 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dhamo, Lorena A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Häusler, I. A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Assessing the influence of microwave-assisted synthesis parameters and stabilizing ligands on the optical properties of AIS/ZnS quantum dots N2 - Luminescent semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are frequently used in the life and material sciences as reporter for bioimaging studies and as active components in devices such as displays, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and sensors. Increasing concerns regarding the use of toxic elements like cadmium and lead, and hazardous organic solvents during QD synthesis have meanwhile triggered the search for heavy-metal free QDs using green chemistry syntheses methods. Interesting candidates are ternary AgInS2 (AIS) QDs that exhibit broad photoluminescence (PL) bands, large effective Stokes shifts, high PL quantum yields (PL QYs), and long PL lifetimes, which are particularly beneficial for applications such as bioimaging, white light-emitting diodes, and solar concentrators. In addition, these nanomaterials can be prepared in high quality with a microwave-assisted (MW) synthesis in aqueous solution. The homogeneous heat diffusion and instant temperature rise of the MW synthesis enables a better control of QD nucleation and growth and thus increases the batch-to-batch reproducibility. In this study, we systematically explored the MW synthesis of AIS/ZnS QDs by varying parameters such as the order of reagent addition, precursor concentration, and type of stabilizing thiol ligand, and assessed their influence on the optical properties of the resulting AIS/ZnS QDs. Under optimized synthesis conditions, water-soluble AIS/ZnS QDs with a PL QY of 65% and excellent colloidal and long-term stability could be reproducible prepared. KW - Quantum dots KW - Microwave-assisted synthesis KW - AgInS KW - Aqueous synthesis PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-567091 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25498-3 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 12 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Nature Publishing Group CY - London AN - OPUS4-56709 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Miropoltsev, M. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Häusler, I. A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Influence of Hydrophilic Thiol Ligands of Varying Denticity on the Luminescence Properties and Colloidal Stability of Quaternary Semiconductor Nanocrystals N2 - Binary photoluminescent semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots, QDs) are one of the best studied fluorescent nanomaterials, and their unique optoelectronic properties paved the road to many applications in (bio)nanophotonics, optoelectronics, and photovoltaics. However, concerns related to their toxic constituents like cadmium or lead and the emerging interest in greener chemistry synthesis approaches hamper their future applicability. Interesting alternatives for some applications like biosensing or bioimaging are heavy-metal-free ternary QDs like AgInS2 (AIS), CuInS2 (CIS), and quaternary QDs such as AIS-ZnS (ZAIS). In this context, we explored the effect of ligand denticity on the organic-to-aqueous phase transfer of oleylamine-stabilized ZAIS QDs with the hydrophilic ligands mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), and 3-mercapto-2,2-bis(mercaptomethyl)propanoic acid (3MPA), bearing mono-, bi-, and trialkyl thiol groups. Spectroscopic studies of the resulting water-dispersible ZAIS QDs revealed a considerable influence of ligand denticity and ligand-to-QD ratio on the spectral position and width (FWHM; full width at half-maximum) of the photoluminescence (PL) bands, the PL quantum yields (PL QY), and the PL decay kinetics. Thiol capping and phase transfer resulted in a loss in PL by at least a factor of 2. The ligand-induced PL quenching observed particularly for ligands bearing two or three thiol groups was attributed to the facilitated formation of surface-bound disulfides. The best colloidal stability under high dilution conditions was observed for 3MPA. KW - Quantum dots KW - Ligand exchange KW - Lifetime analysis KW - Thiols PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.2c05342 SN - 1932-7447 VL - 126 IS - 47 SP - 20101 EP - 20113 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-56707 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dhamo, Lorena A1 - Carulli, F. A1 - Nickl, Philip A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Brovelli, S. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Efficient luminescent solar concentrators based on environmentally friendly Cd-free ternary AIS/ZnS quantum dots N2 - Luminescent solar concentrators (LSC) allow to obtain renewable energy from building integrated photovoltaic systems. As promising efficient and long-term stable LSC fluorophores semiconductor nanocrystals like Quantum dots (QDs) with size and composition tunable optoelectronic properties have recently emerged. The most popular II/VI or IV/VI semiconductor QDs contain, however, potentially hazardous cadmium or lead ions, which is a bottleneck for commercial applications. A simple aqueous based, microwaveassisted synthesis for environmentally friendly and highly emissive AgInS2/ ZnS QDs is developed using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and glutathione (GSH) and their incorporation into polylaurylmethacrylate (PLMA) polymer slabs integrable in LSC devices (10.4 × 10.4 × 0.2 cm3, G = 12.98). With this simple approach, optical power efficiencies (OPE) of 3.8% and 3.6% and optical quantum efficiencies (OQE) of 24.1% and 27.4% are obtained, which are among the highest values yet reported. KW - Solar energy KW - Solar concentrator KW - Quantum dots KW - Advanced material KW - Quantum yield PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-529735 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.202100587 SN - 2195-1071 SN - 0935-9648 VL - 9 IS - 17 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-52973 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tarantini, A. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Dussert, F. A1 - Sarret, G. A1 - Beal, D. A1 - Mattera, L. A1 - Lincheneau, C. A1 - Proux, O. A1 - Truffier-Boutry, D. A1 - Moriscot, C. A1 - Gallet, B. A1 - Jouneau, P.-H. A1 - Reiss, P. A1 - Carriere, M. T1 - Physicochemical alterations and toxicity of InP alloyed quantum dots aged in environmental conditions: A safer by design evaluation N2 - Due to their unique optical properties, quantum dots (QDs) are used in a number of optoelectronic devices and are forecasted to be used in the near future for biomedical applications. The most popular QD composition consists of cadmium selenide (CdSe) or cadmium telluride (CdTe), which has been shown to pose health risks due to the release of toxic cadmium (Cd) ions. Due to similar optical properties but lower intrinsic toxicity, indium phosphide (InP) QDs have been proposed as a safer alternative. Nevertheless, investigations regarding their safety and possible toxicological effects are still in their infancy. The fate and toxicity of seven different water-dispersible indium (In) based QDs, either pristine or after ageing in a climatic chamber, was evaluated. The core of these QDs was composed of indium, zinc and phosphorus (InZnP) or indium, zinc, phosphorus and sulfur (InZnPS). They were assessed either as core-only or as core-shell QDs, for which the core was capped with a shell of zinc, selenium and sulfur (Zn(Se,S)). Their Surface was functionalized using either penicillamine or glutathione. In their pristine form, these QDs showed essentially no cytotoxicity. The particular case of InZnPS QD showed that core-shell QDs were less cytotoxic than core-only QDs. Moreover, surface functionalization with either penicillamine or glutathione did not appreciably influence cytotoxicity but affected QD stability. These QDs did not lead to over-accumulation of reactive oxygen species in exposed cells, or to any oxidative damage to cellular DNA. However, accelerated weathering in a climatic chamber led to QD precipitation and degradation, together with significant cytotoxic effects. Ageing led to dissociation of IneP and ZneS bonds, and to complexation of In Zn ions with carboxylate and/or phosphate moieties. These results show that InZnP and InZnPS alloyed QDs are safer alternatives to CdSe QDs. They underline the necessity to preserve as much as possible the structural integrity of QDs, for instance by developing more robust shells, in order to ensure their safety for future applications. KW - Indium phosphide KW - Safe by design KW - Toxicity KW - EXAFS PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-483070 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2019.100168 VL - 14 SP - 100168-1 EP - 100168-13 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-48307 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Alam, F. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Pouget, S. A1 - Amidani, L. A1 - Kvashnina, K. A1 - Aldakov, D. A1 - Reiss, P. T1 - Eu2+: A suitable substituent for Pb2+ in CsPbX3 perovskite nanocrystals? N2 - Eu2+ is used to replace toxic Pb2+ in metal halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs). The synthesis implies injection of cesium oleate into a solution of europium (II) bromide at an experimentally determined optimum temperature of 130 ○C and a reaction time of 60 s. Structural analysis indicates the formation of spherical CsEuBr3 nanoparticles with a mean size of 43 ± 7 nm. Using EuI2 instead of EuBr2 leads to the formation of 18-nm CsI nanoparticles, while EuCl2 does not show any reaction with cesium oleate forming 80-nm EuCl2 nanoparticles. The obtained CsEuBr3 NCs exhibit bright blue emission at 413 nm (FWHM 30 nm) with a room temperature photoluminescence quantum yield of 39%. The emission originates from the Laporte-allowed 4f7–4f65d1 transition of Eu2+ and shows a PL decay time of 263 ns. The long-term stability of the optical properties is observed, making inorganic lead-free CsEuBr3 NCs promising deep blue emitters for optoelectronics. KW - Perovskite KW - Lead-free KW - fluorescence KW - anion-exchange PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5126473 SN - 0021-9606 VL - 151 SP - 231101-1 EP - 231101-7 PB - AIP Publishing AN - OPUS4-50696 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Häusler, I. A1 - Knigge, Xenia A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Reiss, P. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - One-Pot Heat-Up Synthesis of ZnSe Magic-Sized Clusters Using Thiol Ligands N2 - The synthesis of two new families of ZnSe magic-sized clusters (MSCs) is achieved using the thiol ligand 1-dodecanethiol in a simple one-pot heat-up approach. The sizes of the MSCs are controlled with the thiol ligand concentration and reaction temperature. KW - ZnSe KW - Magic-sized cluster KW - Dodecanethiol KW - Semiconductor nanocrystals KW - One-pot synthesis PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00041 VL - 61 IS - 19 SP - 7207 EP - 7211 PB - ACS Publications CY - Washington, DC (USA) AN - OPUS4-54880 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wegner, Karl David T1 - One-Pot Heat-Up Synthesis of ZnSe Magic-Sized Clusters Using Thiol Ligands N2 - The unique optoelectronic properties of semiconductor nanocrystals, also termed quantum dots (QDs), have led to many advances in optoelectronic devices, bioimaging, and biosensing. This strong potential in a wide range of applications sparked the interest for a better understanding of the QD formation mechanisms. Recent studies have shown that atomically defined, zero-dimensional magic-size clusters (MSCs) play a crucial role during the nucleation and growth of QDs. Thereby MSCs consist of discrete numbers of ions leading to narrow size distributions and thus narrow absorption peaks, which evolve in discrete steps from one stable size to the next. The formation of MSCs was found in the synthesis of II-VI and III-V QDs but only limited synthesis approaches are available for the synthesis of MSCs in single-ensemble form without coexistence of other-size QDs. These MSCs can further self-assemble into two- and three-dimensional hybrid structures using organic ligands like diamines, leading to enhanced photoluminescence properties and catalytic activities. In this contribution, we present a synthesis strategy for the preparation of single-sized ZnSe MSCs. With a band gap of 2.7 eV and being an earth-abundant material, ZnSe QDs are interesting for light-emitting devices, blue-green lasers, photocatalysis, and fluorescence probes. In contrast to other studies, our approach is based on a one-pot heat-up synthesis and uses less toxic and dangerous zinc precursors (e.g. zinc stearate). Knowing that thiol-based ligands can alter the formation process of ZnSe QDs, we investigated the influence of 1-dodecanethiol on the ZnSe MSC formation using absorption spectroscopy, TEM, XPS, and XRD. By variation of the thiol ligand concentration and reaction temperature, we were able to synthesize two new ZnSe MSC sizes, the largest so far, by using easy-to-handle precursors. T2 - NANOHYBRID - Hamburg Conference on Complex Nanostructures CY - Hamburg, Germany DA - 04.10.2022 KW - ZnSe KW - Magic-sized cluster KW - Nanoparticle KW - Synthesis KW - Nanomaterial PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56193 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -