Analytische Chemie
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Lanthanide doped photon upconverting nanophosphors (UCNPs) have the unique capability to produce narrow band, multi-color emission in the UV/vis/NIR upon multiphotonic absorption of infrared light, which makes them promising reporters for diagnostic, bioanalytical, and biological applications. This minimizes background signals, which normally occur due to autofluorescence from auxochromes, in biological matrices and enables deep penetration depths in biological applications. Moreover, UCNPs show long luminescence lifetimes in the μs range favorable for time gated emission in conjunction with a high photostability and chemical inertness and they do not blink. One of the most efficient upconversion (UC) phosphors for conversion of 976 nm to 655 nm and 545 nm light presents the hexagonal NaYF4-host crystal doped with 20 % Yb3+ used as sensitizer to absorb infrared light and 2 % Er3+ acting as activator mainly responsible for light emission. The high transparency in the relevant spectral windows of this host together with its low phonon frequencies ensure relatively high luminescence efficiencies.
Although UCNPs are ideal candidates for many chemical and biological sensing and imaging applications, compared to other well-known chromophores like organic dyes or QDs, they suffer from a comparatively low brightness due to the low absorption cross sections of the parity forbidden f-f-transitions and low photoluminescence quantum yields (QYUC) particularly in the case of small nanoparticles with sizes of < 50 nm. The rational design of more efficient UCNPs requires an improved understanding of the nonradiative decay pathways in these materials that are influenced by particle architecture including dopant ion concentration and homogeneity of dopant distribution within UCNPs, size/surface-to-volume ratio, surface chemistry, and microenvironment. A promising approach to overcome the low efficiency of UCNPs is to use plasmonic interactions between a noble metal (Ag or Au) structure in the proximity of UCNPs and the incident light. This interaction leads to a modification of the spectroscopic properties due
to local field enhancements and can involve an increase of the photoluminescence. In this respect, we study the interactions of UCNPs with metal structures (clusters and shells) by varying shape and size. Here, first results derived from integrating sphere spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence measurements are presented.
In Part II of this Review series on lanthanide-doped photon-upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), we present and critically discuss the Performance and suitability of UCNPs as background-free luminescent Reporters in bioimaging and bioanalytical applications. The preparation of a biocompatible nanoparticle surface is an integral step for all life - science-related applications. UCNPs have found their way into a large number of diagnostic platforms, homogeneous and heterogeneous assay formats, and sensor applications. Many bioanalytical detection schemes involve Förster resonance energy transfert (FRET), which is still debated for UCNPs and Needs to be much improved. The Need for dedicated and standardized instruments as well as recent studies on the Dissolution and potential toxicity of UCNPs are addressed. Finally we outline future Trends and challenges in the field of upconversion.
Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are of great interest for biomedical applications. Currently, the applicability of UCNP bionanotechnology is hampered by the generally low luminescence intensity of UCNPs and inefficient energy Transfer from UCNPs to surface-bound chromophores used e.g. for photodynamic therapy or analyte sensing. In this work, we address the low-Efficiency issue by developing versatile core-Shell nanostructures, where high-concentration sensitizers and activators are confined in the core and Shell Region of representative hexagonal NaYF2:Yb,Er UCNPs. After Doping concentration optimization, the sensitizer-rich core is able to harvest/accumulate more excitation energy and generate almost one order of Magnitude higher luminescence intesity than conventional homogeneously doped nanostructures. At the same time, the activator Ions located in the Shell enable a ~6 times more efficient resonant energy Transfer from UCNPs to surface-bound acceptor dye molecules due to the short distance between donor-acceptor pairs. Our work provides new insights into the rational design of UCNPs and will greatly encrease the General applicability of upconversion nanotechnologies.
Photophysical studies of nonlinear lanthanide-doped photon upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) increasingly used in biophotonics and photovoltaics require absolute measurements of the excitation power density (P)-dependent upconversion luminescence (UCL) and luminescence quantum yields (ΦUC) for quantifying the material performance, UCL deactivation pathways, and possible enhancement factors. We present here the P-dependence of the UCL spectra, ΦUC, and slope factors of the different emission bands of representative 25 nm-sized oleate-capped β-NaYF4:17% Yb3+, 3% Er3+ UCNPs dispersed in toluene and as powder as well as ΦUC of 3 μm-sized upconversion particles (UCμP), all measured with a newly designed integrating sphere setup, enabling controlled variation of P over four orders of magnitude. This includes quantifying the influence of the beam shape on the measured ΦUC and comparison of experimental ΦUC with simulations utilizing the balancing power density model of the Andersson-Engels group and the simulated ΦUC of UCμP from the Berry group, underpinned by closely matching decay kinetics of our UC material. We obtained a maximum ΦUC of 10.5% for UCμP and a ΦUC of 0.6% and 2.1% for solid and dispersed UCNPs, respectively. Our results suggest an overestimation of the contribution of the purple and an underestimation of that of the red emission of β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+: microparticles by the simulations of the Berry group. Moreover, our measurements can be used as a guideline to the absolute determination of UCL and ΦUC
Hexagonal NaYF4 doped with 20 % Yb3+ and 2 % Er3+ is an efficient upconversion (UC) phosphor for the conversion of 976 nm excitation light to emission at 845 nm, 800 nm, 655 nm, 540 nm and 410 nm light. The emission behavior of nanoparticles made from this material is strongly influenced by particle size, surface chemistry, and microenvironment. Furthermore their UC emission originates from multiphotonic absorption processes, rendering the resulting luminescence spectra and intensities excitation power density (P) dependent. Therefore the rational design of efficient nm-sized UC particles e.g., for applications in the material and life sciences requires reliable spectroscopic tools for the characterization of the optical properties of these materials like the excitation power density (P)-dependent UC quantum yield (QYUC) in dispersion, which presents a measure for the efficiency of the conversion of absorbed into emitted photons. Up to date the P-dependent absolute measurement of QYUC in aqueous media with an excitation wavelength of 976 nm presents a considerable challenge due to the low absorption coefficients of the UC materials and the absorption of water at this wavelength.
Obtaining high quality upconverting nanocrystals with only little crystal defects and hence, a high luminescence, affords a reliable synthesis route. Only this guarantees the reproducibility of the material and its spectroscopic properties required for future application. The fluorolytic sol-gel synthesis appears to be a convenient attempt, as this is a method with only few steps influencing the material properties, which can be well controlled.
Also creating bright upconverting nanocrystals requires a profound understanding of the interplay of photophysical processes like multiphoton absorption, radiative and non-radiative pathways, and energy transfer in the material.
Based on steady-state and time resolved luminescence measurements at different excitation power densities, the influence of the lanthanide doping ratio and synthesis parameters such as the annealing process on SrF2-nanocrystals obtained via the fluorolytic sol-gel synthesis was systematically studied.
Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) offer new strategies for luminescence-based sensing. The potential of UCNPs to serve as donors in Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) applications is intensely discussed, owing to their anti-Stokes shifted narrow emission bands, chemical inertness, photostability, and long luminescence lifetimes (> 100 μs). Since FRET is distance dependent, the diameter of the particles is expected to affect the FRET efficiency. In order to identify the ideal particle architecture for FRET-based applications, we performed a systematic spectroscopic study of the influence of the UCNP size on the energy transfer using the organic dyes rose bengal and sulforhodamine B acting as model FRET acceptors for the green upconversion emission. High-quality Yb,Er-doped UCNPs with precisely controlled diameters between 10 and 43 nm were prepared using a high temperature synthesis. The monodisperse, oleate-capped particles were directly modified with the organic dyes by a two-step ligand exchange procedure, resulting in the shortest possible donor-acceptor distance. Successful FRET was demonstrated through the simultaneous drastic reduction of the luminescence intensity and the lifetime of the respective upconversion emission. In contrast to intensity measurements, time-resolved studies on both donor and acceptor luminescence allowed for the elimination of dependencies on excitation power density and particle concentration and for the discrimination between inner filter effects and FRET. The maximum FRET efficiency was observed at a particle diameter around 21 nm, which was attributed to an increasing fraction of the total amount of Er3+ donors inside the UCNPs being within Förster distance. Smaller UCNP diameters did not further improve the FRET efficiency, demonstrating the growing contribution of opposing effects, like the competition of non-radiative surface deactivation, at larger surface-to-volume ratios. This comprehensive understanding of energy transfer processes at the surface of UCNPs is essential for the rational design of upconversion FRET platforms for applications in sensing, imaging, and theranostics with improved sensitivity, reliability and comparability. The energy transfer can also be utilized to shift the luminescence emission by the choice of the organic dye in order to explore applications that require specific emission wavelengths due to interfering substances, while still making use of the advantages of near-infrared excitation.
Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are attractive candidates for energy transfer-based analytical applications. In contrast to classical donor−acceptor pairs, these particles contain many emitting lanthanide ions together with numerous acceptor dye molecules at different distances to each other, strongly depending on the particle diameter.
UCNPs with precisely controlled sizes between 10 and 43 nm were prepared and functionalized with rose bengal and sulforhodamine B by a ligand-exchange procedure. Timeresolved studies of the upconversion luminescence of the UCNP donor revealed a considerable shortening of the donor lifetime as a clear hint for Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). FRET was most pronounced for 21 nm-sized UCNPs, yielding a FRET efficiency of 60%. At larger surface-to-volume ratios, the FRET efficiency decreased by an increasing competition of nonradiative surface deactivation. Such dye-UCNP architectures can also provide an elegant way to shift the UCNP emission color, since the fluorescence intensity of the organic dyes excited by FRET was comparable to that of the upconversion emission of smaller particles.
Measurement of changes of pH at various intracellular compartments has potential to solve questions concerning the processing of endocytosed material, regulation of the acidification process, and also acidification of vesicles destined for exocytosis. To monitor these events, the nanosized optical pH probes need to provide ratiometric signals in the optically transparent biological window, target to all relevant intracellular compartments, and to facilitate imaging at subcellular resolution without interference from the biological matrix. To meet these criteria we sensitize the surface conjugated pH sensitive indicator via an upconversion process utilizing an energy transfer from the nanoparticle to the indicator. Live cells were imaged with a scanning confocal microscope equipped with a low-energy 980 nm laser excitation, which facilitated high resolution and penetration depth into the specimen, and low phototoxicity needed for long-term imaging. Our upconversion nanoparticle resonance energy transfer based sensor with polyethylenimine-coating provides high colloidal stability, enhanced cellular uptake, and distribution across cellular compartments. This distribution was modulated with membrane integrity perturbing treatment that resulted into total loss of lysosomal compartments and a dramatic pH shift of endosomal compartments. These nanoprobes are well suited for detection of pH changes in in vitro models with high biological background fluorescence and in in vivo applications, e.g., for the bioimaging of small animal models.
The implementation of fluorescent methods is of outstanding importance in the field of optical chemical sensor Technology and biosciences. Their bioanalytical applications are manifold including fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence in situ hybridization, DNA sequencing, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, immunoassays, analysis of DNA and Protein microarrays, and quantitative PCR, just to name a few examples. Particularly, fluorescence microscopy is a valuable method in the versatile field of biomedical imaging methods which nowadays utilizes different fluorescence Parameters like emission wavelength/Color and lifetime for the discrimination between different targets. Sectional Images are available with confocal microscopes. Tissue, cells or single cellular compartments can be stained and visualized with fluorescent dyes and biomolecules can be selectively labeled with fluorescent dyes to Monitor biomolecular interactions inside cells or at Membrane bound receptors.
On the other hand , fluorophores can act as indicator (or "molecular probe") to visualize intrinsically colorless and non-fluorescent ionic and neutral analytes such as pH, Oxygen (pO2), metal ions, anions, hydrogen peroxide or bioactive small organic molecules such as Sugars or nucleotides. Thereby, their photoluminescent properties (fluorescence or phoporescence intensity, exitation and/or Emission wavelength, emission lifetime or anisotropy) respond to the presence of these species in their immediate Environment. In general, the use of luminescent probes has the advantage that they can be delivered directly into the sample, and detected in a contactless remote mode. By now, these probes are often encapsulated in different types of nanoparticles (NPs) made from (biodegradable) organic polymers, biopolymers or inorganic materials like silica or bound to their surface.