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Luminescent Nanoparticles – From Photophysics to the Measurement of Photoluminescence Quantum Yields
(2023)
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.
Inorganic nanocrystals with linear and nonlinear luminescence in the ultraviolet, visible, near infrared and short-wave infrared like semiconductor quantum dots and spectrally shifting lanthanide-based nanophosphors have meanwhile found many applications in the life and material sciences. This includes optical reporters for bioimaging and sensing, security and authentication barcodes, solid state lighting, converter materials, and photovoltaics. The identification of optimum particle structures requires quantitative spectroscopic studies under application-relevant conditions, focusing on the key performance parameter photoluminescence quantum yield, ideally flanked by single particle studies to assess spectroscopic inhomogeneities on a particle-to-particle level for typical preparation methods. In this context, methods to quantify the photoluminescence of these different nanoscale emitters are shown and utilized as a basis for a profound mechanistic understanding of the nonradiative deactivation pathways in semiconductor and upconversion nanocrystals of different size and particle architecture in different environments. Exemplary for the application potential of such nanomaterials, in addition, the design of optical sensors from different nanomaterials and functional organic dyes is briefly summarized.
Chromium(III) complexes can show phosphorescence from the spin-flip excited doublet states 2E/2T1 in the near-infrared with high photoluminescence quantum yields and extremely long lifetimes in the absence of dioxygen. The prototype molecular ruby, [Cr(ddpd)2]3+ (ddpd = N,N’-dimethyl-N,N’-dipyridine-2-ylpyridine-2,6-diamine), has a photoluminescence quantum yield and a luminescence lifetime of 13.7% and 1.1 ms in deaerated acetonitrile, respectively. However, its luminescence is strongly quenched by 3O2 via an efficient Dexter-type energy transfer process. To enable luminescence applications of molecular rubies in solution under aerobic conditions, we explored the potential of sterically demanding ddpd ligands to shield the chromium(III) center from O2 using steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. The structures of the novel complexes with sterically demanding ligands were investigated by single crystal X-ray diffraction and quantum chemically by density functional theory calculations. The O2 sensitivity of the photoluminescence was derived from absolutely measured photoluminescence quantum yields and excited state lifetimes under inert and aerobic conditions and by Stern–Volmer analyses of these data. Optimal sterically shielded chromium(III) complexes revealed photoluminescence quantum yields of up to 5.1% and excited state lifetimes of 518 μs in air-saturated acetonitrile, underlining the large potential of this ligand design approach to broaden the applicability of highly emissive chromium(III) complexes.
pH and oxygen are amongst the most important and frequently measured analytes in the life and material sciences, indicating, e.g., diseases and corrosion processes. This includes the optical monitoring of pH in living cells for studying cellular internalization pathways, such as phagocytosis, endocytosis, and receptor ligand internalization with the aid of molecular and nanoscale fluorescent sensors. Nanoparticle (NP)-based sensors, that are labeled or stained with a multitude of sensor dyes, have several advantages as compare to conventional molecular probes like enhanced brightness, i.e., amplified signals, ease of designing ratiometric systems by combining analyte sensitive and inert reference dyes, and increased photostability. Moreover, this can enable the use of hydrophobic dyes in aqueous environments. Versatile templates and carriers for the fabrication of nanosensors by the staining and/or labelling with different fluorophores and sensor molecules or surface functionalized NP like silica (SiO2-NP) and polystyrene (PS-NP) particles provide. Here we present the design of a versatile platform of color emissive nanosensors and stimuli-responsive microparticles for the measurement of pH, oxygen, and other targets utilizing both types of matrices and sets of spectrally distinguishable sensor and reference dyes and their characterization and demonstrate the applicability of representative sensor particle for cellular studies.
Inorganic nanocrystals with linear and nonlinear luminescence in the ultraviolet, visible, near infrared and short-wave 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 [7,8], 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 P and 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.
A fluorolytic sol–gel method was used for the fast and simple synthesis of small cubic-phase SrF2:Yb3+, Er3+ upconversion (UC) nanocrystals (UCNC) of different composition at room temperature. Systematic studies of the crystal phase and particle size of this Yb3+,Er3+-concentration series as well as excitation power density (P)-dependent UC luminescence (UCL) spectra, UCL quantum yields (ΦUCL), and UCL decay kinetics yielded maximum UCL performance for doping amounts of Yb3+ of 13.5% and Er3+ of 1.3% in the studied doping and P-range (30–400 W cm−2). Furthermore, ΦUCL were determined to be similar to popular β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+. The relative spectral UCL distributions revealed that all UCNC show a strong red emission in the studied doping and P-range (30–400 W cm−2) and suggest that the UCL quenching pathway for unshelled cubic-phase SrF2:Yb3+,Er3+ UCNC differs from the commonly accepted population and depopulation pathways of β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ UCNC. In SrF2:Yb3+,Er3+ UCNC the 4S3/2 →
4I13/2 transition exhibits a notably stronger sensitivity towards P and reveals increasing values for decreasing Yb3+–Yb3+ distances while the 4I9/2 → 4I15/2 transition is significantly less affected by P and energy migration facilitated UCL quenching. These results emphasize the complexity of the UC processes and the decisive role of the crystal phase and symmetry of the host lattice on the operative UCL quenching mechanism in addition to surface effects. Moreover, the room temperature UCNC synthesis enabled a systematic investigation of the influence of the calcination temperature on the crystal phase of powder-UCNC and the associated UCL properties. Calcination studies of solid UCNC of optimized doping concentration in the temperature range of 175 °C and 800 °C showed the beneficial influence of temperature-
induced healing of crystal defects on UCL and the onset of a phase separation connected with the oxygenation of the lanthanide ions at elevated temperature. This further emphasizes the sensitivity of the UC process to the crystal phase and quality of the host matrix.
The spatial distribution and concentration of lanthanide activator and sensitizer dopant ions are of key importance for the luminescence color and efficiency of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs). Quantifying dopant ion distributions and intermixing, and correlating them with synthesis methods require suitable analytical techniques. Here, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth-profiling with tender X-rays (2000–6000 eV), providing probe depths ideally matched to UCNP sizes, is used to measure the depth-dependent concentration ratios of Er3+ to Yb3+, [Er3+]/[Yb3+], in three types of UCNPs prepared using different reagents and synthesis methods. This is combined with data simulations and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) measurements of the lanthanide ion concentrations to construct models of the UCNPs’ dopant ion distributions. The UCNP sizes and architectures are chosen to demonstrate the potential of this approach. Core-only UCNPs synthesized with XCl3·6H2O precursors (β-phase) exhibit a homogeneous distribution of lanthanide ions, but a slightly surface-enhanced [Er3+]/[Yb3+] is observed for UCNPs prepared with trifluroacetate precursors (α-phase). Examination of Yb-core@Er-shell UCNPs reveals a co-doped, intermixed region between the single-doped core and shell. The impact of these different dopant ion distributions on the UCNP's optical properties is discussed to highlight their importance for UCNP functionality and the design of efficient UCNPs.
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.
Asymmetrically bridged aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals and aroyl-S,N-ketene acetal multichromophores can be readily synthesized in consecutive three-, four-, or five-component syntheses in good to excellent yields by several successive Suzuki-couplings of aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals and bis(boronic)acid esters. Different aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals as well as linker molecules yield a library of 23 multichromophores with substitution and linker pattern-tunable emission properties. This allows control of different communication pathways between the chromophores and of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and energy transfer (ET) properties, providing elaborate aggregation-based fluorescence switches.
Anear-infrared (NIR) light-triggered release method for nitric oxide (NO) was developed utilizing core/shell NaYF4: Tm/Yb/Ca@NaGdF4:Nd/Yb up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) bearing a mesoporous silica (mSiO2) shell loaded with theNOdonor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP). To avoid overheating in biological samples, Nd3+ was chosen as a sensitizer, Yb3+ ions as the bridging sensitizer, andTm3+ ions as UV-emissive activator while co-doping with Ca2+ was done to enhance the luminescence of the activatorTm3+.NOrelease from SNAP was triggered by an NIR-UV up-conversion process, initiated by 808nmlight absorbed by the Nd3+ ions.NOrelease was confirmed by the Griess method. Under 808nmirradiation, the viability of the liver cancer cell line HepG2 significantly decreased with increasing UCNPs@mSiO2-SNAP concentration. For a UCNPs@mSiO2-SNAP concentration of 200 μgml−1, the cell survival probability was 47%. These results demonstrate that UCNPs@mSiO2-SNAP can induce the release of apoptosis-inducingNOby NIR irradiation.