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Nunes Coelho SF, Bispo-Jr AG, de Oliveira NA, Mazali IO, Sigoli FA. Eu III and Tb III upconversion intermediated by interparticle energy transfer in functionalized NaLnF 4 nanoparticles. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:7493-7503. [PMID: 38465723 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00574k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Lanthanide (LnIII)-doped sodium gadolinium tetrafluoride (NaGdF4) nanoparticles have been excelled as attractive upconversion systems for anti-counterfeiting or energy conversion for instance, with a special interest in the visible upconversion of EuIII and TbIII. The core@shell architecture has enabled the bright upconversion of EuIII and TbIII in this matrix by interfacial energy transfer sensibilized by the TmIII/YbIII pair. Another approach to enable EuIII and TbIII upconversion could be the interparticle energy transfer (IPET) between LnIII-doped sensitizer and acceptor nanoparticles. Yet, the low molar absorptivity of the LnIII through 4f ↔ 4f electronic transitions and the large distance between the nanoparticles are shortcomings that should decrease the energy transfer efficiency. On the other hand, it is feasible to predict that the association of organic ligands displaying large molar absorptivity on the acceptor nanoparticle surface could help to overcome the absorption limitation. Inspired by this exciting possibility, herein, we present the EuIII/TbIII upconversion intermediated by IPET between the donor TmIII, YbIII-doped NaGdF4 nanoparticle and the acceptor LnIII-doped NaGdF4 (Ln = Eu and/or Tb) nanoparticles functionalized with a series organic ligands on the surface (tta- = thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, acac- = acetylacetonate, or 3,5-bbza- = 3,5-dibromebenzoate). Either in solid state or in suspension, upon excitation at 980 nm, visible EuIII/TbIII upconversion could be observed. This emission comes from the absorption of the TmIII, YbIII pair in the donor nanoparticle, followed by IPET from the TmIII excited levels to the ligand singlet/triplet states on the acceptor nanoparticle surface, ligand-to-EuIII/TbIII energy transfer, and upconversion emission. Spectroscopic evidences from the analysis of the donor level lifetimes indicate the contribution of non-radiative energy transfer for the IPET mechanism; the radiative mechanism also contributes for the IPET. Moreover, the design herein introduced enables the development of luminescence temperature probes with relative thermal sensitivity as high as 1.67% K-1 at 373 K. Therefore, this new upconversion pathway opens an avenue of possibilities in an uncharted territory to tune the visible upconversion of LnIII ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Fernando Nunes Coelho
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Unicamp, Josué de Castro Street, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, 13083-970, Brazil.
| | - Airton Germano Bispo-Jr
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Unicamp, Josué de Castro Street, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, 13083-970, Brazil.
| | - Nagyla Alves de Oliveira
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Unicamp, Josué de Castro Street, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, 13083-970, Brazil.
| | - Italo Odone Mazali
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Unicamp, Josué de Castro Street, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, 13083-970, Brazil.
| | - Fernando Aparecido Sigoli
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Unicamp, Josué de Castro Street, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, 13083-970, Brazil.
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Gálico DA, Santos Calado CM, Murugesu M. Lanthanide molecular cluster-aggregates as the next generation of optical materials. Chem Sci 2023; 14:5827-5841. [PMID: 37293634 PMCID: PMC10246660 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc01088k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In this perspective, we provide an overview of the recent achievements in luminescent lanthanide-based molecular cluster-aggregates (MCAs) and illustrate why MCAs can be seen as the next generation of highly efficient optical materials. MCAs are high nuclearity compounds composed of rigid multinuclear metal cores encapsulated by organic ligands. The combination of high nuclearity and molecular structure makes MCAs an ideal class of compounds that can unify the properties of traditional nanoparticles and small molecules. By bridging the gap between both domains, MCAs intrinsically retain unique features with tremendous impacts on their optical properties. Although homometallic luminescent MCAs have been extensively studied since the late 1990s, it was only recently that heterometallic luminescent MCAs were pioneered as tunable luminescent materials. These heterometallic systems have shown tremendous impacts in areas such as anti-counterfeiting materials, luminescent thermometry, and molecular upconversion, thus representing a new generation of lanthanide-based optical materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Alves Gálico
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada
| | | | - Muralee Murugesu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada
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3
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A Lima D, Bispo-Jr AG, Galico DA, Coelho SFN, Araujo Neto JH, Ellena JA, Petiote L, Mazali IO, Sigoli FA. Tuning the Thermometric Features in 1D Luminescent Eu III and Tb III Coordination Polymers through Different Bridge Phosphine Oxide Ligands. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:6808-6816. [PMID: 37125414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c00555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
TbIII and EuIII systems have been investigated as ratiometric luminescent temperature probes in luminescent coordination polymers due to TbIII → EuIII energy transfer (ET). To help understand how ion-ion separation, chain conformation as well as excitation channel impact their thermometric properties, herein, [Eu(tfaa)3(μ-L)Tb(tfaa)3]n one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymers (tfaa- = trifluoroacetylacetonate, and L = [(diphenylphosphoryl)R](diphenyl)phosphine oxide, R = ethyl - dppeo - or butyl - dppbo) were synthesized. The short μ-dppeo bridge ligand leads to a more linear 1D polymeric chain, while the longer μ-dppbo bridge leads to tighter packed chains. As the temperature rises from 80 K, upon direct TbIII excitation at 488 nm, the TbIII emission intensity decreases, while the EuIII emission intensity increases after 160 and 200 K when L = dppeo or dppbo, respectively. The temperature-dependent emission intensities, due to TbIII → EuIII ET, enable the development of ratiometric luminescent temperature probes featuring maximum relative thermal sensitivity up to 3.8% K-1 (250 K, L = dppbo, excitation at 488 nm). On the other hand, the same system displays maximum thermal sensitivity up to 3.5% K-1 (323 K) upon ligand excitation at 300 nm. Thus, by changing the excitation channel and bridge ligand that leads to modification of the polymer conformations, the maximum relative thermal sensitivity can be tuned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Lima
- Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Airton G Bispo-Jr
- Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Diogo A Galico
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Sergio F N Coelho
- Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - João H Araujo Neto
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, São Paulo 13566-590, Brazil
| | - Javier A Ellena
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, São Paulo 13566-590, Brazil
| | - Lanousse Petiote
- Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Italo O Mazali
- Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Fernando A Sigoli
- Institute of Chemistry, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
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4
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Controlling the Energy‐Transfer Processes in a Nanosized Molecular Upconverter to Tap into Luminescence Thermometry Application. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202204839. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202204839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Zhou L, Chen Y, Shen Y, Lin J, Fu J, Lei L, Ye R, Deng D, Xu S. Designing Optical Thermometers Using Down/Upconversion Ca 14Al 10Zn 6O 35: Ti 4+, Eu 3+/Yb 3+, Er 3+ Thermosensitive Phosphors. Inorg Chem 2022; 61:10667-10677. [PMID: 35793498 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Down/upconversion Ca14Al10Zn6O35 inorganic phosphors codoped with Ti4+/Eu3+ or Yb3+/Er3+ were prepared. The crystal structure and downconversion luminescence properties of Ca14Al10Zn6O35:Ti4+, Eu3+ phosphors were studied in detail. Ti4+ and Eu3+ occupied Al3+ and Ca2+ sites in the host lattice, respectively. Under the excitation of 273 nm, the emission peak in the 300-570 nm band originated from the 2T2 → O2- transition of Ti4+. The f-f transition of Eu3+ ions generated multiple peaks in the 570-800 nm range. The emission intensity of Ti4+ and Eu3+ ions can be used as a fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) signal. Based on the FIR technology, the maximum relative sensitivity (Sr) and the minimum temperature uncertainty (δT) reached 1.41% K-1 and 0.07 K, respectively. Meanwhile, the temperature-sensing behaviors were explored by the temperature-dependent upconversion spectra of Er3+- and Yb3+-codoped Ca14Al10Zn6O35 phosphors. Based on the fluorescence intensity ratio of thermal coupling levels (Er3+:2H11/2/4S3/2), the maximum Sr and minimum δT of upconversion phosphors reached 1.28% K-1 and 0.08 K in the temperature range of 293-473 K, respectively. Ca14Al10Zn6O35:Ti4+/Eu3+ (Yb3+/Er3+) phosphors realize temperature sensors with higher relative sensitivity, and it is a good candidate material for optical temperature measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuyan Zhou
- College of Materials and Chemistry, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yanling Chen
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Optoelectronic Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yuyu Shen
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Optoelectronic Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jianhua Lin
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Optoelectronic Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jie Fu
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Optoelectronic Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Lei Lei
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Optoelectronic Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Renguang Ye
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Optoelectronic Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Degang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Optoelectronic Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Shiqing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Optoelectronic Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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6
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Gálico DA, Ramdani R, Murugesu M. Phonon-assisted molecular upconversion in a holmium(III)-based molecular cluster-aggregate. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:9675-9680. [PMID: 35775625 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr02643k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Upconversion (UC) is a fascinating process in which higher energy photons can be emitted from excitation by lower energy photons. The current challenge remains in downscaling and effectively achieving upconversion with lanthanide ions at the molecular scale. Here, using a rationally designed molecular cluster-aggregate (MCA), we demonstrate for the first time HoIII ion molecular upconversion. The synthesized MCA exhibits identifiable HoIII green and red UC emissions with a uniquely enhanced red to green ratio as well as a conventional near-infrared (NIR) emission. A combined rigid spherical cluster core with reduced molecular vibrations, ideally matched donor and acceptor excited levels via a phonon-assisted mechanism, led to an upconversion quantum yield of 5.24 × 10-6%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo A Gálico
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Rayan Ramdani
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Muralee Murugesu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
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7
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Rodrigues EM, Calvert ND, Crawford JC, Liu N, Shuhendler AJ, Hemmer E. Phytoglycogen Encapsulation of Lanthanide-Based Nanoparticles as an Optical Imaging Platform with Therapeutic Potential. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2107130. [PMID: 35560500 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202107130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Lanthanide-based upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are largely sought-after for biomedical applications ranging from bioimaging to therapy. A straightforward strategy is proposed here using the naturally sourced polymer phytoglycogen to coencapsulate UCNPs with hydrophobic photosensitizers as an optical imaging platform and light-induced therapeutic agents. The resulting multifunctional sub-micrometer-sized luminescent beads are shown to be cytocompatible as carrier materials, which encourages the assessment of their potential in biomedical applications. The loading of UCNPs of various elemental compositions enables multicolor hyperspectral imaging of the UCNP-loaded beads, endowing these materials with the potential to serve as luminescent tags for multiplexed imaging or simultaneous detection of different moieties under near-infrared (NIR) excitation. Coencapsulation of UCNPs and Rose Bengal opens the door for potential application of these microcarriers for collagen crosslinking. Alternatively, coloading UCNPs with Chlorin e6 enables NIR-light triggered generation of reactive oxygen species. Overall, the developed encapsulation methodology offers a straightforward and noncytotoxic strategy yielding water-dispersible UCNPs while preserving their bright and color-tunable upconversion emission that would allow them to fulfill their potential as multifunctional platforms for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emille M Rodrigues
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Nicholas D Calvert
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
- University of Ottawa Heart Institute, University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4W7, Canada
| | - Justin C Crawford
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Nan Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Adam J Shuhendler
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
- University of Ottawa Heart Institute, University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4W7, Canada
- Centre for Advanced Materials Research (CAMaR), University of Ottawa, 25 Templeton, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6X1, Canada
| | - Eva Hemmer
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
- Centre for Advanced Materials Research (CAMaR), University of Ottawa, 25 Templeton, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6X1, Canada
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8
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Gálico DA, Murugesu M. Controlling the Energy‐Transfer Processes in a Nanosized Molecular Upconverter to Tap into Luminescence Thermometry Application. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202204839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diogo A. Gálico
- University of Ottawa Chemistry 10 marie curieOttawa K1N6N5 Ottawa CANADA
| | - Muralee Murugesu
- Faculty of Science Department of Chemistry University of OttawaD'Iorio Hall 10 Marie Curie Private K1N 6N5 Ottowa CANADA
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9
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Li M, Zhou J, Lei R, Wang H, Huang F, Xu S. Synthesis of ZrO 2:Pr 3+,Gd 3+ nanocrystals for optical thermometry with a thermal sensitivity above 2.32% K -1 over 270 K of sensing range. Dalton Trans 2021; 50:15688-15695. [PMID: 34693945 DOI: 10.1039/d1dt02070f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, there is enthusiastic effort to develop luminescent thermometers used for remote and high-sensitivity temperature readout over a wide sensing range. Herein, Pr3+ and Gd3+ co-doped ZrO2 nanocrystals are designed, prepared and investigated by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, TEM, EDS, DRS, PLE and PL spectroscopy. Upon 275 nm irradiation, the PL spectrum of ZrO2:Pr3+,Gd3+ is found to be composed of a narrow emission peak at 314 nm (Gd3+ 6P7/2-8S7/2), a broad defect-related emission band at 400 nm, and several emission peaks in the wavelength region of 585-700 nm (Pr3+ 1D2-3H4, 3P0-3H6, and 3P0-3F2), which exhibit different thermal responses owing to the effects of the various non-radiative relaxation processes and trap energy levels. Accordingly, the luminescence intensity ratio (LIR) between the Pr3+ 1D2-3H4 and Gd3+ 6P7/2-8S7/2 transitions demonstrates excellent relative sensing sensitivity values ((2.32 ± 0.01)% K-1-(8.32 ± 0.05)% K-1) and low temperature uncertainties (0.08 K-0.28 K) over a wide temperature sensing range of 303 K to 573 K, which are remarkably better than those of many other luminescence thermometers. What is discussed in the present study may be conducive to broadening the research region of RE3+ doped luminescence thermometric phosphors, especially for materials with rich 4f-4f transition lines and defect-related luminescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Li
- College of Materials and Chemistry, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.,Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
| | - Jun Zhou
- School of Physics, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Ruoshan Lei
- Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
| | - Huanping Wang
- Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
| | - Feifei Huang
- Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
| | - Shiqing Xu
- Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
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Ferreira FDS, de Morais AJ, Santos Calado CM, Iikawa F, Couto Junior ODD, Brunet G, Murugesu M, Mazali IO, Sigoli FA. Dual magnetic field and temperature optical probes of controlled crystalline phases in lanthanide-doped multi-shell nanoparticles. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:14723-14733. [PMID: 34477629 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr03796j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The engineering of core@multi-shell nanoparticles containing heterogeneous crystalline phases in different layers constitutes an important strategy for obtaining optical probes. The possibility of obtaining an opto-magnetic core@multi-shell nanoparticle capable of emitting in the visible and near-infrared ranges by upconversion and downshifting processes is highly desirable, especially when its optical responses are dependent on temperature and magnetic field variations. This work proposes the synthesis of hierarchically structured core@multi-shell nanoparticles of heterogeneous crystalline phases: a cubic core containing DyIII ions responsible for magnetic properties and optically active hexagonal shells, where ErIII, YbIII, and NdIII ions were distributed. This system shows at least three excitation energies located at different biological windows, and its emission intensities are sensitive to temperature and external magnetic field variations. The selected crystalline phases of the core@multi-shell nanoparticles obtained in this work is fundamental to the development of multifunctional materials with potential applications as temperature and magnetic field optical probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia de Sousa Ferreira
- Institute of Chemistry - University of Campinas - UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6154, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-970, Brazil.
| | - Amanda Justino de Morais
- Institute of Chemistry - University of Campinas - UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6154, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-970, Brazil.
| | | | - Fernando Iikawa
- Institute of Physics "Gleb Wataghin" - University of Campinas - UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6165, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Odilon D D Couto Junior
- Institute of Physics "Gleb Wataghin" - University of Campinas - UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6165, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Brunet
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Muralee Murugesu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Italo O Mazali
- Institute of Chemistry - University of Campinas - UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6154, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-970, Brazil.
| | - Fernando A Sigoli
- Institute of Chemistry - University of Campinas - UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6154, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-970, Brazil.
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11
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Gálico DA, Ovens JS, Sigoli FA, Murugesu M. Room-Temperature Upconversion in a Nanosized {Ln 15} Molecular Cluster-Aggregate. ACS NANO 2021; 15:5580-5585. [PMID: 33646745 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c00580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The successive absorption of low-energy photons to the accumulation of the intermediate excited states leading to higher energy emission is still a challenge in molecular architectures. Contrary to low-phonon solids and nanoparticles, the rational construction of molecular systems containing an excess of donor atoms in relation to acceptor ones is far from trivial. Moreover, the vibrations caused by high-energy oscillators commonly present on coordination compounds result in serious drawbacks on molecular upconversion. To overcome these limitations, we demonstrate that upconversion can be achieved even at room temperatures through the use of molecular cluster-aggregates (MCAs). To achieve the upconverted emission, we synthesized a MCA containing 15 lanthanide ions, {Er2Yb13}, ensuring an excess of donor atoms. With the excitation on the ytterbium ion, the characteristic green and red emissions from erbium were obtained at room temperature. To prove the mechanism behind the upconversion process, four other compositions were synthesized and studied, namely, {Y13Er2}, {Y10Er5}, {Er10Yb5}, and {Y10Er1Yb4}. Upconversion quantum yield values on the order of 10-3% were obtained, values 100000 times higher than for previously reported lanthanide-based molecular upconverting systems. The presented methodology is an interesting approach to address a fine composition control and harness the upconversion properties of nanoscale molecular materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo A Gálico
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Jeffrey S Ovens
- X-Ray Core Facility, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Fernando A Sigoli
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6154, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Muralee Murugesu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
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12
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Gálico DA, Kitos AA, Ovens JS, Sigoli FA, Murugesu M. Lanthanide-Based Molecular Cluster-Aggregates: Optical Barcoding and White-Light Emission with Nanosized {Ln 20 } Compounds. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:6130-6136. [PMID: 33296546 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202013867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Counterfeit goods represent a major problem to companies, governments, and customers, affecting the global economy. In order to protect the authenticity of products and documents, optical anti-counterfeit technologies have widely been employed via the use of discrete molecular species, extended metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and nanoparticles. Herein, for the first time we demonstrate the potential use of molecular cluster-aggregates (MCA) as optical barcodes via composition and energy transfer control. The tuneable optical properties for the [Ln20 (chp)30 (CO3 )12 (NO3 )6 (H2 O)6 ], where chp- =deprotonated 6-chloro-2-pyridinol, allow the fine control of the emission colour output, resulting in high-security level optical labelling with a precise read-out. Moreover, a unique tri-doped composition of GdIII , TbIII , and EuIII led to MCAs with white-light emission. The presented methodology is a unique approach to probe the effect of composition control on the luminescent properties of nanosized molecular material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo A Gálico
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Alexandros A Kitos
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Jeffrey S Ovens
- X-Ray Core Facility, University of Ottawa, 150 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Fernando A Sigoli
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, R. Josué de Castro 126, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Muralee Murugesu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
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13
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Gálico DA, Kitos AA, Ovens JS, Sigoli FA, Murugesu M. Lanthanide‐Based Molecular Cluster‐Aggregates: Optical Barcoding and White‐Light Emission with Nanosized {Ln
20
} Compounds. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202013867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diogo A. Gálico
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences University of Ottawa 10 Marie Curie Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada
| | - Alexandros A. Kitos
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences University of Ottawa 10 Marie Curie Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada
| | - Jeffrey S. Ovens
- X-Ray Core Facility University of Ottawa 150 Louis Pasteur Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada
| | - Fernando A. Sigoli
- Institute of Chemistry University of Campinas R. Josué de Castro 126 Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970 Brazil
| | - Muralee Murugesu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences University of Ottawa 10 Marie Curie Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada
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Liu N, Gobeil N, Evers P, Gessner I, Rodrigues EM, Hemmer E. Water dispersible ligand-free rare earth fluoride nanoparticles: water transfer versus NaREF 4-to-REF 3 phase transformation. Dalton Trans 2020; 49:16204-16216. [PMID: 32330218 DOI: 10.1039/d0dt01080d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The chemical stability of oleate-capped sub-10 nm α- and β-NaREF4 NPs (RE = Y, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, Lu for α- and RE = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy for β-phase NPs) was evaluated under the acidic conditions used for ligand removal towards water dispersibility. It was found that for such small NPs, a pH lower than 3 was necessary for the water transfer to be efficient and to yield well-dispersed ligand-free NPs. In stark contrast to the generally considered good chemical stability of NaREF4, these conditions were observed to pose a risk to phase transformation of the NaREF4 NPs into much larger, hexagonal- or orthorhombic-phase REF3, depending on the NP composition. A correlation between the thermodynamic stability of the α/β-NaREF4 and the hexagonal/orthorhombic REF3 phases - dictated by the RE ion choice - and the chemical stability of the NPs was found. For instance, β-NaGdF4 NPs remained stable, while α-NaGdF4 NPs underwent phase transformation into hexagonal GdF3. More general, NaREF4 NPs based on lighter RE ions were more prone towards phase transformation, while those based on heavier RE ions exhibited stability. Herein, within the RE series, the borderline for phase transformation was identified as Tb/Dy for α-NaREF4 NPs and Sm/Eu for β-NaREF4 NPs, respectively. Also, given the large interest in luminescent NPs for, e.g. biomedical applications, optically active Ln3+ ions (Ln = Nd, Eu, Tb, Er/Yb) were doped into α/β-NaGdF4 host NPs, and the dopant influence on the chemical stability was evaluated. Steady state and time-resolved spectroscopy unveiled spectral features characteristic for Ln3+ f-f transitions, i.e. downshifting and upconversion, before and after ligand removal. Overall, the results herein described emphasise the importance of minding the chemical procedure used for ligand removal of NaREF4 NPs of different crystalline phases and RE compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie-Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Shang Y, Han Q, Hao S, Chen T, Zhu Y, Wang Z, Yang C. Dual-Mode Upconversion Nanoprobe Enables Broad-Range Thermometry from Cryogenic to Room Temperature. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:42455-42461. [PMID: 31647642 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b11751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Noncontact optical thermometers based on the luminescence intensity ratio of two thermally coupled energy levels, exhibiting high sensitivity, excellent accuracy, fast response, and low environment dependence, have attracted great interests in scientific research, life activities, and industrial manufacturing processes. However, the use of optical thermometers in extreme atmospheres (below 150 K) is usually limited by the required large temperature activation because of the relatively big energy difference (200 cm-1 ≤ ΔE ≤ 2000 cm-1). Here, we propose a strategy to alleviate the ultralow temperature-sensing problem by exploiting and utilizing the near-infrared (NIR) thermally coupled Stark sublevels of Tm3+ (3H4|0 → 3H6/3H4|1 → 3H6, ΔE ≈ 300 cm-1) that is much sensitive to minimal temperature variation, especially at ultralow temperatures because of the tiny energy difference. The integration of ultralow temperature-sensitive Tm3+ ions and room-temperature-sensitive Er3+ ions in an ultrasmall α-NaYbF4:Tm3+@CaF2@NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+@CaF2 core/multishell nanoparticle (∼15 nm) as a dual-mode upconversion luminescent nanoprobe enables the broad-range temperature detection from 10 to 295 K. This structure induces ∼14 times NIR emission and ∼sixfold green upconversion luminescence output in comparison with the α-NaYbF4:Tm3+ core and α-NaYbF4:Tm3+@CaF2@NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ core/shell/shell nanoparticles. The maximum absolute and relative sensitivities of this dual-mode temperature sensor reach 0.67% and 3.06% K-1, respectively, showing the advantage of the concurrent utilization of the Tm3+ NIR 801/820 nm band ratio and the typical Er3+ visible 521/538 nm band ratio for a wide-range temperature-sensing purpose. This work provides a promising strategy to develop accurate and effective, contactless broad-range/ultralow temperature sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qi Han
- Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shanghai 201210 , China
| | | | | | | | - Zhongyang Wang
- Research Center of Quantum Macro-Phenomenon and Application, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shanghai 201210 , China
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16
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Liu N, Marin R, Mazouzi Y, Cron GO, Shuhendler A, Hemmer E. Cubic versus hexagonal - effect of host crystallinity on the T 1 shortening behaviour of NaGdF 4 nanoparticles. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:6794-6801. [PMID: 30907912 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr00241c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Sodium gadolinium fluoride (NaGdF4) nanoparticles are promising candidates as T1 shortening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents due to the paramagnetic properties of the Gd3+ ion. Effects of size and surface modification of these nanoparticles on proton relaxation times have been widely studied. However, to date, there has been no report on how T1 relaxivity (r1) is affected by the different polymorphs in which NaGdF4 crystallizes: cubic (α) and hexagonal (β). Here, a microwave-assisted thermal decomposition method was developed that grants selective access to NaGdF4 nanoparticles of either phase in the same size range, allowing the influence of host crystallinity on r1 to be investigated. It was found that at 3 T cubic NaGdF4 nanoparticles exhibit larger r1 values than their hexagonal analogues. This result was interpreted based on Solomon-Bloembergen-Morgan theory, suggesting that the inner sphere contribution to r1 is more pronounced for cubic NaGdF4 nanoparticles as compared to their hexagonal counterparts. This holds true irrespective of the chosen surface modification, i.e. small citrate groups or longer chain poly(acrylic acid). Key aspects were found to be a polymorph-induced larger hydrodynamic diameter and the higher magnetization possessed by cubic nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie St. Ottawa (ON) K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Gálico DA, Mazali ÍO, Sigoli FA. A highly sensitive luminescent ratiometric thermometer based on europium(iii) and terbium(iii) benzoylacetonate complexes chemically bonded to ethyldiphenylphosphine oxide functionalized polydimethylsiloxane. NEW J CHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1039/c8nj04489a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A terbium(iii) and europium(iii) ratiometric optical temperature probe with a high relative thermal sensitivity of 11.05% K−1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Alves Gálico
- Laboratory of Functional Materials – Institute of Chemistry – University of Campinas – UNICAMP
- Campinas
- Brazil
| | - Ítalo Odone Mazali
- Laboratory of Functional Materials – Institute of Chemistry – University of Campinas – UNICAMP
- Campinas
- Brazil
| | - Fernando Aparecido Sigoli
- Laboratory of Functional Materials – Institute of Chemistry – University of Campinas – UNICAMP
- Campinas
- Brazil
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