Luminescent properties of Tb3+ and Gd3+ ions doped aluminosilicate oxyfluoride glasses

Scintillation materials based on metal iodates by rare earth doping modifications for use in radioluminescence and X-ray imaging

We obtained metal iodates scintillators with high X-ray response and scintillating films with high X-ray sensitivity and imaging spatial resolution.

Codoping Enhanced Radioluminescence of Nanoscintillators for X-ray-Activated Synergistic Cancer Therapy and Prognosis Using Metabolomics

Radio- and photodynamic therapies are the first line of cancer treatments but suffer from poor light penetration and less radiation accumulation in soft tissues with high radiation toxicity. Therefore, a multifunctional nanoplatform with diagnosis-assisted synergistic radio- and photodynamic therapy and tools facilitating early prognosis are urgently needed to fight the war against cancer. Further, integrating cancer therapy with untargeted metabolomic analysis would collectively offer clinical pertinence through facilitating early diagnosis and prognosis. Here, we enriched scintillation of CeF₃ nanoparticles (NPs) through codoping Tb³⁺ and Gd³⁺ (CeF₃:Gd³⁺,Tb³⁺) for viable clinical approach in the treatment of deep-seated tumors. The codoped CeF₃:Gd³⁺,Tb³⁺ scintillating theranostic NPs were then coated with mesoporous silica, followed by loading with rose bengal (CGTS-RB) for later computed tomography (CT)- and magnetic resonance image (MRI)-guided X-ray stimulated synergistic radio- and photodynamic therapy (RT+XPDT) using low-dose, one-time X-ray irradiation. The results corroborated an efficient tumor regression with synergistic RT+XPDT relative to single RT. Global untargeted metabolome shifts highlighted the mechanism behind this efficient tumor regression using RT, and synergistic RT+XPDT treatment is due to the starvation of nonessential amino acids involved in protein and DNA synthesis and energy regulation pathways necessary for growth and progression. Our study also concluded that tumor and serum metabolites shift during disease progression and regression and serve as robust biomarkers for early assessment of disease state and prognosis. From our results, we propose that codoping is an effective and extendable technique to other materials for gaining high optical yield and multifunctionality and for use in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Critically, the integration of multifunctional theranostic nanomedicines with metabolomics has excellent potential for the discovery of early metabolic biomarkers to aid in better clinical disease diagnosis and prognosis.

Fast and intense green emission of Tb(3+) in borosilicate glass modified by Cu(.)

We present photoluminescence properties of Tb³⁺ doped borosilicate glasses modified by Cu⁺. Around 5-time enhanced emission at 541 nm due to the superposed emission of Tb³⁺ and Cu⁺ is observed under the deep UV excitation. Excitation spectra demonstrate a greatly increased absorption of Tb³⁺ ions in the deep UV region towards the Cu⁺ excitation band, while the shortened Cu⁺ emission lifetime of glasses in association with presence of Tb³⁺ ions implies an energy transfer process from Cu⁺ to Tb³⁺ ions. Meanwhile, the Tb³⁺ emission lifetime is significantly shortened from the conventional millisecond level (~4 ms) to the microsecond regime up to around 90 μs. This most likely starts with the role of Cu⁺ as a co-activator by initiating the d-f orbital hybridization process via an interaction with Tb³⁺, thus relaxing the spin forbidden transition of Tb³⁺ ions to the partially allowed one. Moreover, combination of emissions from Cu⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions generates a composite green emission with adjustable CIE (Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage) chromaticity coordinates achievable by co-doping Cu⁺/Tb³⁺ in the different ratio and/or altering the excitation wavelength from deep UV to near UV region.