Issue 8, 2013
From the journal:

Nanoscale

In vitro cell imaging using multifunctional small sized KGdF4:Yb3+,Er3+ upconverting nanoparticles synthesized by a one-pot solvothermal process

Hon-Tung Wong,a   Ming-Kiu Tsang,a   Chi-Fai Chan,ab   Ka-Leung Wong,b   Bin Feic  and  Jianhua Hao*a  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
E-mail: apjhhao@polyu.edu.hk

b Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

c Institute of Textiles & Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Abstract

Multifunctional KGdF4:18%Yb3+,2%Er3+ nanoparticles with upconversion fluorescence and paramagnetism are synthesized. The average sizes of the nanoparticles capped with branched polyethyleneimine (PEI) and 6-aminocaproic acid (6AA) are ∼14 and ∼13 nm, respectively. Our KGdF4 host does not exhibit any phase change with the decrease of particle size, which can prevent the detrimental significant decrease in upconversion luminescence caused by this effect observed in the well-known NaYF4 host. The branched PEI and 6AA capping ligands endow our nanoparticles with water-dispersibility and biocompatibility, which can favor internalization of our nanoparticles into the cytoplasm of HeLa cells and relatively high cell viability. The strong upconversion luminescence detected at the cytoplasm of HeLa cells incubated with the branched PEI-capped nanoparticles is probably attributed to the reported high efficiency of cellular uptake. The magnetic mass susceptibility of our nanoparticle is 8.62 × 10−5 emu g−1 Oe−1. This is the highest value ever reported in trivalent rare-earth ion-doped KGdF4 nanoparticles of small size (≤14 nm), and is very close to that of nanoparticles used as T1 contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging. These suggest the potential of our KGdF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles as small-sized multifunctional bioprobes.

Graphical abstract: In vitro cell imaging using multifunctional small sized KGdF4:Yb3+,Er3+ upconverting nanoparticles synthesized by a one-pot solvothermal process

About
Cited by
Related
Download options Please wait...

Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C3NR00081H
Article type
Paper
Submitted
06 Jan 2013
Accepted
22 Feb 2013
First published
25 Feb 2013

Nanoscale, 2013,5, 3465-3473

Permissions

Request permissions

In vitro cell imaging using multifunctional small sized KGdF4:Yb3+,Er3+ upconverting nanoparticles synthesized by a one-pot solvothermal process

H. Wong, M. Tsang, C. Chan, K. Wong, B. Fei and J. Hao, Nanoscale, 2013, 5, 3465 DOI: 10.1039/C3NR00081H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements