Synthesis, Cytotoxicity Assessment and Optical Properties Characterization of Colloidal GdPO4:Mn2+, Eu3+ for High Sensitivity Luminescent Nanothermometers Operating in the Physiological Temperature Range

K Maciejewska; B Poźniak; M Tikhomirov; A Kobylińska; L Marciniak

doi:10.3390/nano10030421

Synthesis, Cytotoxicity Assessment and Optical Properties Characterization of Colloidal GdPO₄:Mn²⁺, Eu³⁺ for High Sensitivity Luminescent Nanothermometers Operating in the Physiological Temperature Range

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2020 Feb 28;10(3):421. doi: 10.3390/nano10030421.

Authors

K Maciejewska¹, B Poźniak², M Tikhomirov², A Kobylińska¹, L Marciniak¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Okólna 2, 50-422 Wroclaw, Poland.
² Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. C.K. Norwida 31, 50-366 Wrocław, Poland.

Abstract

Herein, a novel synthesis method of colloidal GdPO₄:Mn²⁺,Eu³⁺ nanoparticles for luminescent nanothermometry is proposed. XRD, TEM, DLS, and zeta potential measurements confirmed the crystallographic purity and reproducible morphology of the obtained nanoparticles. The spectroscopic properties of GdPO₄:Mn²⁺,Eu³⁺ with different amounts of Mn²⁺ and Eu³⁺ were analyzed in a physiological temperature range. It was found that GdPO₄:1%Eu³⁺,10%Mn²⁺ nanoparticles revealed extraordinary performance for noncontact temperature sensing with relative sensitivity S_R = 8.88%/°C at 32 °C. Furthermore, the biocompatibility and safety of GdPO₄:15%Mn²⁺,1%Eu³⁺ was confirmed by cytotoxicity studies. These results indicated that colloidal GdPO₄ doped with Mn²⁺ and Eu³⁺ is a very promising candidate as a luminescent nanothermometer for in vitro applications.

Keywords: cytotoxicity; luminescent nanothermometers; nanoparticles; optical properties; synthesis; transition metals.

Grants and funding

First TEAM/2016-2/16/Fundacja na rzecz Nauki Polskiej