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- Fluorescence (8)
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- 1.2 Biophotonik (20) (entfernen)
In all fluorescence-based techniques, the measured signals contain not only sample-related but also instrument-specific contributions, which limit the direct comparison of fluorescence data obtained e.g. on different devices or at different times and often hamper quantification. To rule out instrumentation as major source of variability of emission data, accepted fluorescence standards and procedures for the control of instrument specifications and long-term performance are required. For flow cytometry (FCM), a broad variety of fluorophore-stained polymer beads differing in emission wavelength and intensity is available for the testing of the alignment, sensitivity, and other parameters of FCM. These calibration tools are intended to facilitate the assessment of instrument performance to ensure reliable measurements and to improve the comparability of FCM experiments.
As a step towards an improved comparability of fluorescence data, with special emphasis on spectroscopic methods measuring nano- and micrometer-sized fluorescent objects, we are currently developing a set of fluorescent polystyrene (PS) beads loaded with luminophores from the certified BAM-Kit “Spectral fluorescent standards”, initially developed for the calibration of fluorescence spectrometers. Here, we present first results from studies of these fluorophore-loaded polymer beads. Moreover, new beads are made to supplement this kit by encapsulating near-infrared (NIR)-emissive luminophores in PS beads to cover the UV/VIS, and NIR wavelength range.
These beads are designed for calibration of flow cytometers and other fluorescence imaging systems to meet the increasing demand for reliable and comparable fluorescence data especially in strongly regulated areas like e.g. medical diagnostics.
Luminescence techniques are amongst the most commonly used analytical methods in life and material sciences due to their sensitivity and their nondestructive and multiparametric character. Photoluminescence signals are, however, affected by wavelength, polarization and time dependent instrument specific effects, and provide only relative intensities. This hampers the comparability of fluorescence measure-ments and calls for simple tools for instrument characterization and the quantification of measured fluorescence intensities. Well characterized fluorescence standards for instrument calibration and performance validation (IPV) can be used as references for fluorescence signals. Of special importance is the correct determination of photoluminescence quantum yields (QF) (number of emitted per absorbed photons) that provides a direct comparison of the fluorescence efficiency of emitters. Such well characterized standards have been successfully developed by BAM for the relative determination of f values of transparent solutions of molecular and nanoscale emitters in the wavelength range from 350 and 1100 nm and will be soon certified. These standards can also be used to evaluate integrating sphere setups, which are increasingly being used for absolute measurements of QF values.
We report the synthesis and characterization of carbon nanodots (CDs) with high quantum yield (>50%) and tailored optical absorption as well as emission properties. A well-described protocol with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as amine precursor is used as a reference to a new CD system which is stabilized by aromatic 2,3-diaminopyridine (DAP) molecules instead. The DAP stabilizer is installed in order to red-shift the absorption peak of the n-π* electron transition allowing efficient radiative recombination and light emission. Size, shape, and chemical composition of the samples are determined by (HR)TEM, EDX and FTIR-spectroscopy. Optical parameters are investigated using UV-VIS, PL and QY measurements. Several parameters such as concentration, excitation wavelength and pH are studied. Zeta-potential analysis indicate that pH-induced (de-)protonation processes of functional moieties directly affect the n-π* energy bands. This results in unique pH-dependent absorption and emission characteristics which are discussed on the specific chemical composition of each CD system.
There is an increasing interest in bridging the gap between the photoluminescence (PL) properties of nanomaterials like semiconductor nanocrystals (QDs) commonly assessed in ensemble studies and the PL features of single QDs for life sciences applications such as bioimaging studies or use in microfluidic assays. The fluorescence quantum yield (ΦF) is a key performance parameter for all molecular and nanoscale emitters, increasingly employed in nanoscience, nanotechnology, and medical diagnostics.
ΦF determines not only the signal size together with the reporter´s molar extinction coefficient, yet it is particularly relevant for nanocrystals like QDs with coordinatively bound surface ligands and size- and surface chemistry-dependent PL characteristics.
The importance of ΦF measurements at ultralow concentration encouraged us to explore the potential of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) for the relative determination of ΦF of ligand-stabilized CdTe nanocrystals in comparison to molecular dyes with closely matching spectral properties and known ΦF.
We describe a FCS-based method for the relative determination of ΦF of dispersed QDs at ultralow concentrations, and procedures to overcome QD-inherent challenges like complex and power-dependent blinking behavior as well as ligand- and QD-specific aggregation. We could demonstrate the potential of this approach by comparison with steady state ensemble measurements.
Luminescence techniques are amongst the most commonly used analytical methods in the life and material sciences due to their high sensitivity and their nondestructive and multiparametric character. Photoluminescence signals are, however, affected by wavelength-, polarization- and time-dependent instrument specific effects. This hampers the comparability of fluorescence measurements and calls for simple tools for instrument characterization and the quantification of measured fluorescence intensities. Well characterized fluorescence standards for instrument calibration and performance validation (IPV) can be used also to reference fluorescence signals. Of special importance is the reliable and accurate determination of photoluminescence quantum yields (Ф f), that equals the number of emitted per absorbed photons and presents the key performance parameter for emitter efficiency and the comparison of different luminophores. The determination of Ф f is typically done with the aid of so-called quantum yield standards with well-known Ф f values. These standards can also be applied to evaluate integrating sphere setups, which are increasingly being used for absolute measurements of Ф f values. In this respect, division biophotonics of BAM has certificated a set of Ф f standards, which absorb and fluorescence in the wavelength range from 350 to 1100 nm. In the following, the route to Ф f standards with reliable and traceable Ф f values with a complete uncertainty budget will be presented.
Multiplexed encoding schemes of nano- and micrometer sized polymer particles with fluorescent dyes or quantum dots (QDs) and their optical detection, are of increasing interest for applications in the life sciences, for example in flow cytometry. Almost all strategies utilizing fluorescence focus on spectrally distinguishable emission bands or colors and different intensity levels as fluorescence codes.
In this work the goal is to perform multiplexing with encoding fluorophores with different fluorescence lifetimes (LTs). In comparison to the spectral multiplexing strategies this has the advantage, that the different fluorescence LT codes can be measured with the same excitation and emission wavelength, thus reducing instrumental costs. Moreover, LTs should not depend on emitter concentration. Unlike organic dyes, the LTs of which are typically <10ns, the fluorescence LTs of ternary semiconductor QDs which represent a “green” alternative to conventional Cd-containing QDs are in the range of several hundred ns, independent of oxygen concentration, and can be tuned to a certain extent by chemical composition and surface chemistry. This presents a time region that can barely be covered by other emitters that have either much shorter or longer lifetimes. In this project, different encoding strategies will be assessed, and the encoded particles will then be used for fluorescence assays for the analysis of several targets in parallel. Therefore, the encoded particles will be functionalized with different target-specific bioligands and read out with a specifically designed flow cytometer enabling time-resolved fluorescence detection. With this instrument, the particles will be discriminated by their fluorescence LTs in one detection channel while the analytes will be quantified by fluorescence labels in a second channel in the intensity domain.
Two nanosensors for simultaneous optical measurements of temperature (“T”), oxygen (“O”), and pH (“P”) have been designed. These “TOP” nanosensors are based on 100 nm-sized silica-coated polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) doped with the near infrared emissive oxygen- and temperature-sensitive chromium(III) complex ([Cr(ddpd)2][BPh4]3 CrBPh4)[1][2] and an inert reference fluorescence dye (Nile Red NR or 5,10,15,20tetrakis-(pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin TFPP) and are covalently labeled with the pHsensitive fluorophore fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). These emitters can be excited at the same wavelength and reveal distinguishable emission spectra suitable for ratiometric intensity-based and time-resolved studies in the visible and near infrared spectral region. The core-shell nanostructure of these sensors reveals high colloidal stability in various aqueous media. Studies in PBS buffer solutions and in a model body liquid demonstrate the applicability of the TOP nanosensors for optically detecting the three bioanalytically and biologically relevant analytes temperature, oxygen and pH simultaneously at the same position.
Extracellular vesicles (EV) are cell-derived particles in body fluids, which have excellent potential as next-generation biomarkers. The exploitation of EV requires reliable measurements, which is currently very difficult, as most EV are smaller than 200 nm. At present, flow cytometry (FCM) is the most appropriate technique for EV analysis in biological samples, as FCM is readily available in many clinical laboratories and allows to identify cell-specific EV at high throughput. However, due to technical variations between different FCM instruments, EV concentration measurements are currently not well comparable between most laboratories. Therefore, EV reference materials and standardized reference methods are urgently needed to calibrate flow rate, light scattering intensity, and fluorescence intensity of FCM in the sub-micrometer size range. This requires a better matching of the optical properties of calibration beads and EV as can be realized with current polystyrene calibration beads.
The EMPIR project 18HLT01 “MetVes II” aims to develop synthetic reference materials and traceable measurement methods to standardize EV measurements. The reference materials should resemble EV properties, so that calibrations are reliable and do not require a change of acquisition settings. Hence, the reference materials should contain particles with a traceable number concentration in the range of 109–1012 particles/mL to calibrate flow rate, a traceable size with discrete diameters between 50–1000 nm and a refractive index (RI) in the range of 1.37–1.42 to calibrate scattering intensity, and a traceable fluorescence intensity between 100–100,000 molecules of equivalent soluble fluorochromes (MESF). At BAM, various approaches to prepare such low-RI nanometer-sized reference materials will be studied, preliminary results of the primary characterization of these candidate reference particles will be presented, and possible applications besides FCM-based EV detection will be outlined.
Aldehyde-functionalized materials have found broad use in bioconjugation applications. For example, coupling of aldehyde surface groups with to proteins or amine-functionalized oligonucleotides can readily produce biomolecule-covered chip microarray and bead surfaces for multiplex analyses. Additionally, aldehyde-modified nanoparticles can possess bioadhesive properties that can extend their retention time in biological compartments. These emerging novel bioanalytical applications call for reliable tools and methods to detect and quantify accessible aldehyde functionalities.
We present here a straightforward concept to quantify the amount of accessible aldehyde moieties on the surface of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles through the specific binding and subsequent release of small reporter molecules such as absorbing and fluorescent dyes utilizing hydrazone formation as a reversible covalent labeling strategy. Unbound reporter molecules can be easily removed by washing steps, eliminating inaccuracies caused by unspecific adsorption to hydrophobic surfaces. Cleavage of the hydrazones at acidic pH assisted by a carbonyl trap releases the optical reporters rapidly and quantitatively and allows for their optical detection at low concentration. Importantly, this strategy separates the signal-generating molecules from the bead surface, thereby circumventing light scattering and signal distortions due to binding-induced changes in reporter fluorescence and quenching dye-dye interactions on crowded material surfaces. The potential of this catch-and-release strategy for surface group quantification is representatively demonstrated for a set of microparticles functionalized with different aldehyde densities. This concept is validated by a colorimetric assay with a different optical probe, which contains a reductively cleavable disulfide bond and a reporter that can be quantified photometrically in solution after its cleavage. The excellent match of the results of both optical assays confirms their suitability for the rapid and sensitive quantification of aldehydes on microbead surfaces. These simple catch-and-release assays are excellent tools for process control during bead fabrication and the comparison of different bead batches.
Aldehyde-functionalized materials have found widespread use in bioconjugation applications. For example, coupling of aldehyde surface groups with proteins, peptides or amine-functionalized oligonucleotides can readily produce biomolecule-decorated chip and bead surfaces for multiplex analyses. Furthermore, aldehyde-modified nanoparticles can possess bioadhesive properties that can prolong their retention time in biological compartments. These emerging novel bioanalytical and biomedical applications call for reliable tools and methods to detect and quantify accessible aldehyde functionalities on material surfaces.
We report on a versatile concept to quantify the accessible aldehyde moieties on particle surfaces through the specific binding and subsequent release of small reporter molecules such as fluorescent dyes and non-fluorescent chromophores utilizing acylhydrazone formation as a reversible covalent labeling strategy. This is representatively demonstrated for a set of polymer microparticles with different aldehyde labeling densities. Excess reporter molecules can be easily removed by washing, eliminating inaccuracies caused by unspecific adsorption to hydrophobic surfaces. Cleavage of hydrazones at acidic pH assisted by a carbonyl trap releases the fluorescent reporters rapidly and quantitatively and allows for their fluorometric detection at low concentration. Importantly, this strategy separates the signal-generating molecule from the bead surface, thereby circumventing common issues associated with light scattering and signal distortions due to binding-induced changes in reporter fluorescence as well as quenching dye-dye interactions on crowded material surfaces. In addition, we demonstrate that the release of a non-fluorescent chromophore via disulfide cleavage and subsequent quantification by absorption spectroscopy gives comparable results, verifying that both assays are capable of rapid and sensitive quantification of aldehydes on microbead surfaces. These strategies enable a quantitative comparison of bead batches with different functionalization densities, and a qualitative prediction of their coupling efficiencies in bioconjugations, as demonstrated in reductive amination reactions with Streptavidin.
Quantification of Aldehydes via Catch and Release of Reporter Chromophores on Polymeric Microbeads
(2019)
Aldehyde-functionalized materials have found widespread use in bioconjugation applications. For example, coupling of aldehyde surface groups with proteins, peptides or amine-functionalized oligonucleotides can readily produce biomolecule-decorated chip and bead surfaces for multiplex analyses. Furthermore, aldehyde-modified nanoparticles can possess bioadhesive properties that can prolong their retention time in biological compartments. These emerging novel bioanalytical and biomedical applications call for reliable tools and methods to detect and quantify accessible aldehyde functionalities on the surface of 2D- and 3D-supports.
We present here a versatile concept to quantify the amount of accessible aldehyde moieties on the surface of PMMA particles through the specific binding and subsequent release of small reporter molecules such as absorbing and fluorescent dyes utilizing acylhydrazone formation as a reversible covalent labeling strategy. Unbound reporter molecules can be easily removed by washing steps, eliminating inaccuracies caused by unspecific adsorption to hydrophobic surfaces. Cleavage of the hydrazones at acidic pH assisted by a carbonyl trap releases the optical reporters rapidly and quantitatively and allows for their optical detection at low concentration. Importantly, this strategy separates the signal-generating molecules from the bead surface, thereby circumventing common pitfalls of optical assays associated with light scattering and signal distortions due to binding-induced changes in reporter fluorescence and quenching dye-dye interactions on crowded material surfaces. The potential of this catch-and-release strategy for surface group quantification is representatively demonstrated for a set of microparticles functionalized with different aldehyde densities. This concept is validated by a colorimetric assay with a different optical probe, which contains a reductively cleavable disulfide bond and a reporter that can be quantified photometrically in solution after its release. The excellent match of the results of both optical assays confirms their suitability for the rapid and sensitive quantification of aldehydes on microbead surfaces. These simple catch-and-release assays are excellent tools for process control during bead fabrication and the comparison of different bead batches. Their potential for predicting biomolecule coupling efficiencies in bioconjugation reactions is currently assessed in reductive amination reactions with streptavidin.
In summary, by combining the NIR-emissive [Cr(ddpd)2][BPh4]3 complex CrBPh4 with its extremely large energy gap between the longest wavelength absorption and emission maxima with a pH-responsive fluorescein derivative (FITC) and an inert reference dye like Nile Red (NR) and 5,10,15,20tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin (TFPP), we developed nanosensors for simultaneously sensing temperature, O2 partial pressure, and pH. These novel TOP nanosensors (temperature, oxygen, pH) cover the biologically and physiologically relevant concentration ranges of these parameters/analytes with single wavelength excitation in PBS buffer and in a cell culture medium containing bovine serum albumin (BSA). The response of both nanosensors to all parameters is fully reversible and only minimally affected by the presence of BSA, the most common serum albumin. Moreover, comparative studies with nanosensors containing only a single type of stimuli-responsive molecule and with the respective molecular systems revealed that the different sensor components do not interfere with each other. Future research will include the testing of these nanosensors in cellular uptake studies and, after surface modification with targeted bioligands, eventually in in vivo experiments as previously done by some of us with other polystyrene nanoparticle reporters and nanosensors.46,47 Moreover, this concept of multianalyte sensing will be expanded to nanosensors derived from differently sized premanufactured biocompatible polymer particles and different stimuli-responsive dyes like fluorescent indicators for biologically and bioanalytically relevant metal ions.
Multiplexed encoding schemes of nano- and micrometer sized particles with fluorescent dyes or quantum dots (QDs) and their optical detection, are of increasing interest for applications in the life sciences, for example in flow cytometry. Almost all strategies utilizing fluorescence focus on spectrally distinguishable emission bands or colors and different intensity levels as fluorescence codes. The fluorescence parameter lifetime has been, however, barely exploited. In this work the goal is to perform multiplexing with encoding fluorophores with different fluorescence lifetimes (LTs). In comparison to the spectral multiplexing strategies this has the advantage, that the different fluorescence LT codes can be measured with the excitation and emission wavelength, thus reducing instrument costs. Moreover, LTs should not depend on emitter concentration. Unlike organic dyes, the LTs of which are typically < 10 ns, the fluorescence LTs of ternary semiconductor QDs that represent a “green” alternative to conventional Cd-containing QDs are in the range of several hundred ns, independent of oxygen concentration, and can be tuned to a certain extent by chemical composition and surface chemistry. This present a time region that can be barely covered by other emitters that have either much shorter or longer lifetimes. In this project, different encoding strategies will be assessed and the encoded particles will be then used for fluorescence assays for the analysis of several targets in parallel. Therefor the encoded particles will be functionalized with different target-specific bioligands and read out with a specifically designed flow cytometer enabling time-resolved fluorescence detection. With this instrument, the particles will be discriminated by their fluorescence LTs In one detection channel while the analytes will be quantified by fluorescence labels in a second channel in the intensity domain.
Organic and inorganic micro- and nanoparticles are increasingly used as drug carriers, fluorescent sensors, and multimodal labels in the life and material sciences. Typically, these applications require further functionalization of the particles with, e.g., antifouling ligands, targeting bioligands, stimuli-responjsive caps, or sensor molecules. Besides serving as an anchor point for subsequent functionalization, the surface chemistry of these particles also fundamentally influences their interaction with the surrounding medium and can have a significant effect on colloidal stability, particle uptake, biodistribution, and particle toxicity in biological systems. Moreover, functional groups enable size control and tuning of the surface during the synthesis of particle systems.
For these reasons, a precise knowledge of the chemical nature, the total number of surface groups, and the number of groups on the particle surface that are accessible for further functionalization is highly important. In this contribution, we will will discuss the advantages and limitiations of different approaches to quantify the amount of commonly used surface functional groups such as amino,[1,2] carboxy,[1,2] and aldehyde groups.[3] Preferably, the quantification is carried out using sensitive and fast photometric or fluorometric assays, which can be read out with simple, inexpensive instrumentation and can be validated by complimentary analytic techniques such as ICP-OES and quantitative NMR.
Ternary semiconductors Quantum Dots (t-QD) are Cd-free semiconductors nanocrystals made from I-III-VI group elements like CIS or AIS. They are interesting alternatives for Cd-based QDs for applications as optically active components in solar concentrators or solar cells, light emitting diodes (LED) or in the life sciences. To enhance the PL quantum yield (PL QY) and prevent material deterioration and oxidation, these QDs are commonly surface-passivated with by ZnS shell.
AIS QDs exhibit broad photoluminescence (PL) spectra in the visible and near infrared, which are tunable by size, chemical composition (ratio of components or doping), and surface ligand. They show a relatively high absorption coefficient, high PL QY (up to 70%), and long luminescence lifetimes in the order of a few hundred nanoseconds that make them promising materials for a broad variety of applications. Moreover, they can be simply prepared even in water in high quality which avoids further ligand exchange steps for all water-based applications know to decrease QY.
Here we present a systematic spectroscopic study of differently colored AIS/ZnS QDs synthesized in water, size selected by precipitation, transferred to organic solvents via ligand exchange, and embedded in different polymers by a photochemically initiated polymerization. The PL properties including PL QY and the PL decay kinetics measured in different matrices are shown and discussed.
Ternary semiconductors quantum dots (t-QD) are Cd-free core-only or core-shell semiconductor nanocrystals with a core made from I-III-VI group elements like Cu-In-S (CIS) or Ag-In-S (AIS). To enhance the PL quantum yield (PL QY) and prevent material deterioration and oxidation, these QDs are commonly surface-passivated with ay ZnS shell.
CIS and AIS QDs exhibit broad photoluminescence (PL) bands that cover visible spectrum up to the near infrared (NIR), the spectral position of which being tunable by size, chemical composition of the core (ratio of the components), and surface ligand. They show high absorption coefficients, high PL quantum yields (PL QY of up to 70%), and long luminescence lifetimes in the order of a few hundred nanoseconds that make them promising materials for a broad variety of applications. This makes them interesting alternatives for Cd-based QDs for applications as optically active components in solar concentrators or solar cells, light emitting diodes (LED) or as reporter in the life sciences.
Here we present a systematic spectroscopic study of a set of AIS/ZnS QDs synthesized in water, size selected by fractioned precipitation, and after ligand exchange in an apolar organic solvent as well as embedded in a polymer. The latter was achieved by a photochemically initiated polymerization. The PL properties of these AIS/ZnS including PL QY and the PL decay kinetics assessed in different matrices/environments are shown and discussed as well as possible applications in energy conversion.
The Effect of Low Charge Polycarboxylate on C3A Passivation Monitored by Optical Spectroscopy
(2019)
Tricalcium aluminate (C3A) is less than 10 wt.% of the total cement composition; however, during hydration, the soluble C3A plays an important role in cement setting when mixed with the appropriate amount of sulfate.1 A good understanding about the balance of these components is therefore crucial to follow with the rapid growth of substitution materials and the rising levels of aluminate clinker. The aim of this investigation is the use of optical spectroscopy and in-situ X-ray diffraction utilizing a water-soluble organic dye (dye-S) to monitor early hydration of calcium aluminate (C3A) in the presence of 26 wt.% CaS04.2H2O (G) and PCE polymers with different charge densities (PCE-LC and PCE-HC). Phase characterization and optical evaluation were performed using in-situ X-ray diffraction and steady-state fluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Fluorescence spectroscopy of the reference C3A + dye-S revealed a fast decay in fluorescence intensity. However, in the presence of 26 wt.% G (C3A + dye-S + 26 wt.% G), a gradual increase in fluorescence intensity was observed in the first hours of reaction followed by a plateau that subsequently dropped in intensity after eight hours. The addition of PCE-LC and PCE HC to the mixture exhibited changes in the intensity threshold and overall a higher fluorescence intensity. Dye changes during hydration and structural changes will be further discussed.
Time-resolved flow cytometry
(2019)
The fast identification of a large number of analytes or events is increasingly required in bioanalytical, diagnostic, and security applications. The versatility and straightforward use make multiparametric fluorescence techniques particularly interesting as detection techniques. An established method for high-throughput single-cell and single-particle measurements is flow cytometry (FCM). Using only spectral encoding without further intensity information, state-of-the-art instruments equipped with several light sources and detectors can resolve almost 20 different color codes. However, this is not sufficient to answer complex research questions, e.g. in cell biology and immunology. In contrast, routine applications demand low-cost and sometimes even portable instruments and thus a minimum number of instrument components. Thus, there are currently two main research directions in FCM: the development of methods that can either address increasingly complex analytical challenges or provide low-cost and robust approaches for routine multiplex analyses. Common spectral multiplexing approaches face limitations in both directions. On the one hand, spectral overlap of labels restricts the number of codes and makes elaborate correction schemes necessary. On the other hand, even for lower degrees of multiplexing often a sophisticated optical setup is needed. An alternative to spectral multiplexing and intensity encoding is to exploit the luminescence lifetime (LT) as an encoding parameter. This can allow for extending the parameter space in combination with spectral encoding or result in more simple and compact devices due to fewer optical components. The availability of fast electronics enables miniaturized and portable lifetime measurement setups at relatively low cost. LT-FCM requires to master LT determination with a limited number of detected photons due to the short interaction time of the encoded objects with the laser spot. In this study, we address this issue for time-domain cytometry and present a novel lifetime flow cytometry (LT-FCM) platform based on a compact setup and straightforward time-domain measurements utilizing LT-encoded luminescent beads. Moreover, we present the realization of a first bioanalytical assay with LT-encoded beads.
Non-linear optical emitters are promising materials for energy applications and biotechnologies. Solid-state multi-band emitters like lanthanide doped up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) show excellent photostability, are excitable in the near infrared (NIR), and show emission bands from the UV to SWIR spectral regions. The optical properties of these materials strongly depend on the excitation power density, i.e., the number of photons absorbed per time interval. The upconversion (ΦUC) and downshifting quantum efficiencies (ΦDS) of these materials, the excitation power dependent population, and the deactivation dynamics are influenced by nanoparticle architecture, doping concentration, and the microenvironment. We studied the fundamental changes of the luminescence properties of ß-NaYF4 UCNPs doped with Yb3+ and Er3+ depending on size, different surroundings such as aqueous and organic media, and different surface chemistries. We obtained further insights into shelling procedures, FRET optimization, influence of doping concentration, and advantages of different sensitizer ions.