Highly Erbium-Doped Nanoplatform with Enhanced Red Emission for Dual-Modal Optical-Imaging-Guided Photodynamic Therapy

Inorg Chem. 2018 Dec 3;57(23):14594-14602. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b02257. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Abstract

Generally, luminescence quenching at high doping concentrations typically limits the concentration of doped ions in the lanthanide material to less than 0.05-20 mol %, and this is still a major hindrance in designing nanoplatforms with improved brightness. In this research, a nanoplatform capable of dual-modal imaging and synergetic antitumor cells therapy was designed. NaYF4: x%Er@NaXF4 ( x = 5, 25, 50, and 100; X = Lu and Y) core@shell nanoparticles with Er3+ ion concentration up to 100 mol % were synthesized, and the luminescence properties under near-infrared (NIR) excitation were detected. The results show the strong coupled of surface and concentration quenching effects in upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP). Upconversion luminescence (UCL) and NIR-II emission intensity increased with negligible concentration quenching effect under 980 and 800 nm NIR lasers because of the growth of epitaxial shells. Therefore, the enhanced red luminescence transfers energy to photosensitizer ZnPc as the photodynamic therapy (PDT) agent for tumor inhibition efficacy.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Erbium / chemistry
  • Erbium / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Infrared Rays
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / diagnostic imaging
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Optical Imaging*
  • Photochemotherapy*
  • Photosensitizing Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Photosensitizing Agents / chemistry
  • Photosensitizing Agents / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Photosensitizing Agents
  • Erbium