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Bioanalytical, diagnostic, and security applications require the fast and sensitive determination of a steadily increasing number of analytes or events in parallel in a broad variety of detection formats and increased sensitivities. This – flanked by recent technical advancements and the availability of simple to use, commercial time-resolved photoluminescence measuring devices at reasonable costs - calls for the exploitation of the species- and environment-specific photoluminescence parameter luminescence lifetime. In this context, time-resolved photoluminescence measurements of different classes of molecular and nanocrystalline emitter and luminescent particles in different time windows are presented and examples for applications such as lifetime multiplexing and barcoding in conjunction with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and flow cytometry are given.
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.
NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+@NaGdF4:Nd3+/Yb3+ upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) were prepared using a solvothermal method, and the effects of key factors such as the content of sensitiser Nd 3+ and Yb3+ on their luminescence properties were investigated. The nanoparticles are homogeneous in size and well dispersed. Under 808 nm excitation, it can produce strong upconversion fluorescence. At the same time, the nanoparticles have good temperature-sensing properties at the thermally coupled energy levels of 700 nm and 646 nm for Tm3+. Using its fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR), accurate temperature measurements can be performed, and it has been found that it exhibits different temperature sensing properties in low and high-temperature regions. The maximum relative sensitivity was found to be 0.88% K-1 and 1.89% K-1 for the lowtemperature region of 285 K-345 K and the high-temperature region of 345 K-495 K. The nanoparticles were applied to the internal temperature measurement of lithium batteries and the actual high-temperature environment, respectively, and were found to have good temperature measurementt performance.
Heterogeneous Oxysulfide@Fluoride Core/ Shell Nanocrystals for Upconversion-Based Nanothermometry
(2022)
Lanthanide (Ln3+)-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) often suffer from weak luminescence, especially when their sizes are ultrasmall (less than 10 nm). Enhancing the upconversion luminescence (UCL) efficiency of ultrasmall UCNPs has remained a challenge that must be undertaken if any practical applications are to be envisaged. Herein, we present a Ln3+-doped oxysulfide@fluoride core/shell heterostructure which shows efficient UCL properties under 980nm excitation and good stability in solution. Through epitaxial heterogeneous growth, a ∼4 nm optically inert β-NaYF4 shell was coated onto ∼5 nm ultrasmall Gd2O2S:20%Yb,1%Tm. These Gd2O2S:20%Yb,1%Tm@NaYF4 core/shell UCNPs exhibit a more than 800-fold increase in UCL intensity compared to the unprotected core, a 180-fold increase in luminescence decay time of the 3H4 → 3H6 Tm3+ transition from 5 to 900 μs, and an upconversion quantum yield (UCQY) of 0.76% at an excitation power density of 155 W/cm2. Likewise, Gd2O2S:20%Yb,2%Er@NaYF4 core/shell UCNPs show a nearly 5000-fold
increase of their UCL intensity compared to the Gd2O2S:20%Yb,2%Er core and a maximum UCQY of 0.61%. In the Yb/Er core−shell UCNP system, the observed variation of luminescence intensity ratio seems to originate from a change in lattice strain as the temperature is elevated. For nanothermometry applications, the thermal sensitivities based on thermally coupled levels are estimated for both Yb/Tm and Yb/Er doped Gd2O2S@NaYF4 core/shell UCNPs.
The molecular ruby analogue [Cr(ddpd)2]3+ (ddpd=N,N’-dimethyl-N,N’-dipyridine-2-ylpyridine-2,6-diamine) exhibits near infrared (NIR) emission with a high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield ΦPL of 11 % and a lifetime of 898 μs in deaerated water at room temperature. While ligand-based control of the photophysical properties has received much attention, influences of the counter anions and microenvironment are still underexplored. In this study, the luminescence properties of the molecular ruby were systematically examined for the counter anions Cl−, Br−, [BF4]−, [PF6]−, [BPh4]−, and [BArF24]− in acetonitrile (MeCN) solution, in crystals, and embedded into polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNP). Stern-Volmer analyses of the oxygen quenching studies in the intensity and lifetime domain showed the highest oxygen sensitivity of the complexes with the counter anions of [BF4]− and [BArF24]−, which also revealed the longest luminescence lifetimes. Embedding [Cr(ddpd)2][PF6]3 in PSNPs and shielding with poly(vinyl alcohol) yields a strongly NIR-emissive oxygen-insensitive material with a record ΦPL of 15.2 % under ambient conditions.
Biofilms are ubiquitous in nature and in the man-made environment. Given their harmful effects on human health, an in-depth understanding of biofilms and the monitoring of their formation and growth are important. Particularly relevant for many metabolic processes and survival strategies of biofilms is their extracellular pH. However, most conventional techniques are not suited for minimally invasive pH measurements of living biofilms. Here, a fluorescent nanosensor is presented for ratiometric measurements of pH in biofilms in the range of pH 4.5–9.5 using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The nanosensor consists of biocompatible polystyrene nanoparticles loaded with pH-inert dye Nile Red and is surface functionalized with a pH-responsive fluorescein dye. Its performance was validated by fluorometrically monitoring the time-dependent changes in pH in E. coli biofilms after glucose inoculation at 37 °C and 4 °C. This revealed a temperature-dependent decrease in pH over a 4-h period caused by the acidifying glucose metabolism of E. coli. These studies demonstrate the applicability of this nanosensor to characterize the chemical microenvironment in biofilms with fluorescence methods.
A first tricolor fluorescent pH nanosensor is presented, which was rationally designed from biocompatible carboxylated polystyrene nanoparticles and two analyte-responsive molecular fluorophores. Its fabrication involved particle staining with a blue-red-emissive dyad, consisting of a rhodamine moiety responsive to acidic pH values and a pH-inert quinoline fluorophore, followed by the covalent attachment of a fluorescein dye to the particle surface that signals neutral and basic pH values with a green fluorescence. These sensor particles change their fluorescence from blue to red and green, depending on the pH and excitation wavelength, and enable ratiometric pH measurements in the pH range of 3.0−9.0. The localization of the different sensor dyes in the particle core and at the particle surface was confirmed with fluorescence microscopy utilizing analogously prepared polystyrene microparticles. To show the application potential of these polystyrene-based multicolor sensor particles, fluorescence microscopy studies with a human A549 cell line were performed, which revealed the cellular uptake of the pH nanosensor and the differently colored emissions in different cell organelles, that is, compartments of the endosomal-lysosomal pathway. Our results demonstrate the underexplored potential of biocompatible polystyrene particles for multicolor and multianalyte sensing and bioimaging utilizing hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic stimuli-responsive luminophores.
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.
Stability, dissolution, and cytotoxicity of NaYF4‑upconversion nanoparticles with different coatings
(2022)
Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their unique photophysical properties. Their utilization in biomedical applications depends on the understanding of their transformations under physiological conditions and their potential toxicity. In this study, NaYF4: Yb,Er UCNPs, widely used for luminescence and photophysical studies, were modified with a set of four different coordinatively bound surface ligands, i.e., citrate, alendronate (AA), ethylendiamine tetra(methylene phosphonate) (EDTMP), and poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene) (PMAO), as well as silica coatings with two different thicknesses. Subsequently, the aging-induced release of fluoride ions in water and cell culture media and their cytotoxic profile to human keratinocytes were assessed in parallel to the cytotoxic evaluation of the ligands, sodium fluoride and the lanthanide ions. The cytotoxicity studies of UCNPs with different surface modifications demonstrated the good biocompatibility of EDTMP-UCNPs and PMAO-UCNPs, which is in line with the low amount of fluoride ions released from these samples. An efficient prevention of UCNP dissolution and release of cytotoxic ions, as well as low cytotoxicity was also observed for UCNPs with a sufficiently thick silica shell. Overall, our results provide new insights into the
understanding of the contribution of surface chemistry to the stability, dissolution behavior, and cytotoxicity of UCNPs. Altogether, the results obtained are highly important for future applications of UCNPs in the life sciences and bioimaging studies.
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.