Boosting the down-shifting luminescence of rare-earth nanocrystals for biological imaging beyond 1500 nm

Yeteng Zhong, Zhuoran Ma, Shoujun Zhu, Jingying Yue, Mingxi Zhang, Alexander L. Antaris, Jie Yuan, Ran Cui, Hao Wan, Ying Zhou, Weizhi Wang, Ngan F. Huang, Jian Luo, Zhiyuan Hu () and Hongjie Dai ()
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Yeteng Zhong: CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China
Zhuoran Ma: Stanford University
Shoujun Zhu: Stanford University
Jingying Yue: Stanford University
Mingxi Zhang: Stanford University
Alexander L. Antaris: Stanford University
Jie Yuan: Stanford University
Ran Cui: Stanford University
Hao Wan: Stanford University
Ying Zhou: Stanford University
Weizhi Wang: CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China
Ngan F. Huang: Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University
Jian Luo: School of Medicine, Stanford University
Zhiyuan Hu: CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China
Hongjie Dai: Stanford University

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract In vivo fluorescence imaging in the near-infrared region between 1500–1700 nm (NIR-IIb window) affords high spatial resolution, deep-tissue penetration, and diminished auto-fluorescence due to the suppressed scattering of long-wavelength photons and large fluorophore Stokes shifts. However, very few NIR-IIb fluorescent probes exist currently. Here, we report the synthesis of a down-conversion luminescent rare-earth nanocrystal with cerium doping (Er/Ce co-doped NaYbF4 nanocrystal core with an inert NaYF4 shell). Ce doping is found to suppress the up-conversion pathway while boosting down-conversion by ~9-fold to produce bright 1550 nm luminescence under 980 nm excitation. Optimization of the inert shell coating surrounding the core and hydrophilic surface functionalization minimize the luminescence quenching effect by water. The resulting biocompatible, bright 1550 nm emitting nanoparticles enable fast in vivo imaging of blood vasculature in the mouse brain and hindlimb in the NIR-IIb window with short exposure time of 20 ms for rare-earth based probes.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00917-6

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