High-Quantum-Yield Ultrasmall Ln2O3 (Ln = Eu, Tb, or Dy) Nanoparticle Colloids in Aqueous Media Obtained via Photosensitization

Tirusew Tegafaw, Ying Liu, Son Long Ho, Shuwen Liu, Mohammad Yaseen Ahmad, Abdullah Khamis Ali Al Saidi, Dejun Zhao, Dabin Ahn, Hyunji Nam, Weon Sik Chae, Sung Wook Nam, Yongmin Chang, Gang Ho Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fluorescent nanoparticles used in biomedical applications should be stable in their colloidal form in aqueous media and possess a high quantum yield (QY). We report ultrasmall Ln2O3 (Ln = Eu, Tb, or Dy) nanoparticle colloids with high QYs in aqueous media. The nanoparticles are grafted with hydrophilic and biocompatible poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) to ensure colloidal stability and biocompatibility and with organic photosensitizer 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDA) for achieving a high QY. The PAA/PDA-Ln2O3 nanoparticle colloids were nearly monodispersed and ultrasmall (particle diameter: ∼2 nm). They exhibited excellent colloidal stability with no precipitation after synthesis (>1.5 years) in aqueous media, very low cellular toxicity, and very high absolute QYs of 87.6, 73.6, and 2.8% for Ln = Eu, Tb, and Dy, respectively. These QYs are the highest reported so far for lanthanides in aqueous media. Therefore, the results suggest their high potential as sensitive optical or imaging probes in biomedical applications.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)15338-15342
Number of pages5
JournalLangmuir
Volume39
Issue number43
DOIs
StatePublished - 31 Oct 2023

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'High-Quantum-Yield Ultrasmall Ln2O3 (Ln = Eu, Tb, or Dy) Nanoparticle Colloids in Aqueous Media Obtained via Photosensitization'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this