TY - JOUR A1 - Arai, Marylyn Setsuko A1 - Machado, Thales Rafael A1 - da Silva, Beatriz Giacomelli Rodrigues A1 - Vilela, Raquel Riciati do Couto A1 - de Camargo, Andrea Simone Stucchi A1 - Zucolotto, Valtencir T1 - Biomimetic Upconverting Nanoplatforms for Glioblastoma Bioimaging and Targeted Therapy N2 - Infectious bacterial diseases, intensified by antibiotic resistance, cause millions of deaths annually and pose risks beyond human health, including water and food contamination. Current diagnostics are often slow, require complex equipment, and lack specificity, highlighting the need for rapid and reliable detection methods. To address this, we developed a luminescent sensor based on NaYF4 upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) doped with Er3+ or Tm3+, coated with COOH-PEG4-COOH, and functionalized with vancomycin (Van) or polymyxin-B (Poly) to selectively target Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) served as quenchers, enabling a ratiometric “turn-on” mechanism: upon bacterial binding, the UCNP emission, initially quenched by AuNPs, was partially restored. This allowed differentiation through changes in the green/red (G/R) ratio for Er-UCNP@PEG4-Van and the blue/red (B/R) ratio for Tm-UCNP@PEG4-Poly. The sensor distinguished between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria over a wide concentration range (0.05 to 5 × 105 CFU/mL) and showed high correlation with actual bacterial counts (r = 0.99 for S. aureus, r = 0.91 for E. coli). This platform is a potential fast, selective, and reliable tool for bacterial detection in clinical and environmental settings. KW - Glioblastoma KW - Homotypic targeting KW - Cell membrane coating KW - Upconverting nanoparticles KW - Temozolamide KW - Near infrared bioimaging KW - Drug delivery PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-652808 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.5c04567 SN - 2574-0970 VL - 10 IS - 39 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) AN - OPUS4-65280 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - de Camargo, Andrea A1 - Arai, Marylyn Setsuko T1 - Upconversion nanoparticles for chemical, physical and biological sensing: from functionalization to point-of-care devices N2 - Among several applications, versatile upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) which can convert lower-energy infrared radiation into higher-energy visible or ultraviolet light, have emerged as one of the most powerful tools in the field of chemical, physical and biological sensing. The use of UCNPs in fluorescent sensors allows non-invasive, highly sensitive, and selective detection methods, which are particularly beneficial in environments requiring minimal interference and high precision for analytes that can range from metal ions to biomolecules. In this lecture, an overview and the state of the art will be given, accompanied by examples of our recent contributions to key areas such as chronic disease diagnostics, bacterial sensing, and multifunctionally responsive nanoplatforms: (1) An Enhanced Luminescence Lateral-Flow Assay (ELLA) designed for rapid (< 15 min) and early detection of acute kidney injury biomarkers in urine samples, using a commercial cell phone camera, will be presented. The platform is based on Er³⁺- and Tm³⁺-doped UCNPs whose emissions intensities are 40-fold enhanced by an Au-coated mesoporous silica shell, enabling the accurate detection of KIM-1 and NGAL biomarkers with detection limits as low as 0.23 ng/mL; (2) Also, a multifunctional nanoplatform that combines Tm³⁺-doped UCNPs with a Cu(I) complex for applications in oxygen sensing, optical thermometry, and emission colour tuning will be presented. The platform utilizes Luminescent Resonance Energy Transfer (LRET) to achieve efficient energy transfer, enabling red emission from the Cu(I) complex while allowing the use of the UCNP’s original emissions for thermometry. The dual functionality allows sensitive O2 detection and temperature measurements, with relative sensitivities of up to 1% K⁻¹; (3) The critical challenge of rapid bacterial detection and differentiation was addressed by the development of a novel UCNP-based sensor. By functionalizing UCNPs with the antibiotics - vancomycin for Gram-(+) and polymyxin-B for Gram-(-), and using Au nanoparticles as intensity quenchers, the sensor leverages a ratiometric "turn-on" mechanism for selective detection of the bacteria, through changes in the green/red (G/R) ratio for Er-UCNP@PEG4-Van, and blue/red (B/R) ratio for Tm-UCNP@PEG4-Poly. By this approach, differentiation was possible over a wide concentration range of bacteria (0.05 to 5 x 105 CFU/mL) with high correlation with actual bacterial counts (r = 0.99 for S. aureus, r = 0.91 for E. coli); (4) Recently, we have demonstrated a water dispersable ratiometric pH-nanosensor based on host-guest interaction of Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped UCNPs functionalized with b-cyclodextrin (b-CD) and a pH-responsive nitrobenzoxadiazol dye modified with adamantane (NBD-Ad). The sensor shows a ratiometric emission response (blue/red) over a pH range of 8.0 – 11.0 with high reproducibility, excellent reusability and selectivity, even in the presence of interferents. Together, the presented examples highlight the versatility and potential of UCNPs to develop novel sensors, offering measurable advances in diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and beyond. T2 - Shift2025 - Spectral shaping for biomedical and energy applications CY - Tenerife, Spain DA - 13.10.2025 KW - Upconverting nanoparticles KW - Fluorescent sensors KW - Point-of-care devices PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65282 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - de Camargo, Andrea T1 - Enhanced emission of Nd3+ by localized silver nanocluster growth via direct laser writing in Ga-fluoride phosphate glasses N2 - Gallium fluoride phosphate glasses are promising materials for optical applications in the visible to near infrared spectra due to their wide transmission window and ability to accommodate optically active dopants. In this study, melt quenched glasses in the compositional system 25Ga(PO₃)₃–20ZnF₂–30BaF₂–(25–x–y)SrF₂–xAgNO₃–yNdF₃ (x = 0 -10 mol%, y = 0 or 1 mol%) were studied and fully characterized by conventional and spectroscopic techniques to understand the interaction of silver species and Nd³⁺ ions. In Ag+ doped samples, the observation of a broad emission band in the visible spectrum evidences the overlapping presence of Ag⁺, Ag nanoclusters (NCs), and [Ag₂]²⁺ species. In the sample doped with 10 mol% Ag⁺, the development of a dark yellow color and alterations in the emission profile suggest the formation of Ag nanoparticles. In an attempt to control and increase the formation of Ag nanoclusters in a localized way, the glasses with 3 and 5 mol% Ag+ were subjected to direct laser writing (DLW) with femtosecond laser pulses at variable inscription intensities and scan speeds. As expected, the approach led to localized growth of Ag-NCs with precise spatial control and as a consequence, the Nd³⁺ emissions in the NIR region (e.g. at1060 nm) were significantly enhanced in laser-structured regions as compared to unmodified areas, evidencing efficient energy transfer from silver species to Nd³⁺ ions. These results demonstrate that DLW, applied for the first time in these glasses, enables precise spatial control over silver nanocluster formation, offering a viable route to process optical glasses for photonic applications. T2 - XXIII - B-MRS Meeting CY - Salvador, Brazil DA - 28.09.2025 KW - Fluoride phosphate glasses KW - Direct laser writting KW - Neodymium KW - Silver nanoclusters PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65281 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Shasmal, Nilanjana T1 - Effects of Direct femtosecond laser writing on chloroborosilicate glasses doped with Eu3+/Eu2+ and CdS quantum dots N2 - Femtosecond (fs) direct laser writing (DLW) is a promising technique for developing nano-inhomogeneous materials with advanced optical properties and for fabricating novel photonic devices such as integrated waveguides, ultrafast optical switches, phase plates, and 3D optical memory. In this study, DLW was applied to chloroborosilicate glasses that were singly and co-doped with Eu and CdS quantum dots (QDs). The glasses were laser-treated within a very narrow range of experimental conditions, resulting in laser-inscribed sites exhibiting enhanced emission, similar to the glass-ceramics crystallized from the as-prepared glass. In the regions crystalized by DLW a significant reduction of Eu3+ to Eu2+ was verified by photoluminescence spectroscopy. However, the characteristics of the emission bands of Eu2+ changed markedly in the laser-treated sites as compared to the emission spectra of the same glass crystallized by heat treatment. A considerable redshift and splitting of the emission band were observed, attributed to changes in the surrounding environment of the rare earth (RE) ions which was, in turn, attributed to an alteration in the coordination number of Ba2 + and/or Eu2+ as a result of the high-power laser treatment. Although there was an issue with homogeneity of the glass in the micro-level, which restricts some of the aspects of the DLW, these findings suggest the potential for structural modifications through laser treatment, which could be harnessed to create new functionalities for advanced optical applications. T2 - ICG 2025 (27th International Congress on Glass) CY - Kolkata, India DA - 20.01.2025 KW - Femtosecond direct laser writing KW - DLW KW - CdS quantum dots KW - Eu/CdS co-doped glass PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65285 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hickel, Tilmann A1 - Waske, Anja A1 - Tehranchi, Ali A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Stawski, Tomasz M. A1 - Fellinger, Tim-Patrick A1 - Mehmood, Asad A1 - Witt, Julia A1 - Ozcan, Ozlem A1 - Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Kumar, Sourabh A1 - Mishra, Rajesh Kumar A1 - Holzer, Marco A1 - Stucchi de Camargo, Andrea Simone A1 - Agudo Jácome, Leonardo A1 - Manzoni, Anna A1 - Fantin, Andrea A1 - John, Elisabeth A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan A1 - Bührig, Sophia A1 - Murugan, Jegatheesan A1 - Marschall, Niklas A1 - George, Janine A1 - Darvishi Kamachali, Reza A1 - Maaß, Robert A1 - Emmerling, Franziska T1 - Chemically complex materials enable sustainable high-performance materials N2 - Chemically complex materials (CCMats) 􀀀 including high-entropy alloys, oxides, and related multi-principal element systems 􀀀 offer a paradigm shift in materials design by leveraging chemical diversity to simultaneously optimize functional, structural, and sustainability criteria. The vastness of the compositional and structural space in CCMats propels the field into an expanding exploratory state. To reconcile functional and structural performance across this immense parameter space remains an open challenge. This Perspective evaluates the opportunities and challenges associated with harnessing chemical complexity across a broad spectrum of applications, such as hydrogen storage, ionic conductors, catalysis, magnetics, dielectrics, semiconductors, optical materials, and multifunctional structural systems. It is delineated how three central design strategies: targeted substitution (SUB), defect engineering (DEF), and diversity management (DIV) enable the reconciliation of high functional performance with long-term structural stability and environmental responsibility. Advances in computational thermodynamics, microstructure simulations, machine learning, and multimodal characterization are accelerating the exploration and optimization of CCMats, while robust data infrastructures and automated synthesis workflows are emerging as essential tools for navigating their complex compositional space. By fostering cross-disciplinary knowledge transfer and embracing data-driven design, CCMats are poised to deliver next-generation materials solutions that address urgent technological, energy, and environmental demands. KW - Chemically complex materials KW - Structural stability KW - Functional performance KW - Design strategies KW - Sustainability PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655598 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359028626000033?via%3Dihub DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cossms.2026.101256 SN - 1359-0286 VL - 42 SP - 1 EP - 26 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-65559 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -