Structural, Mechanical, Imaging and in Vitro Evaluation of the Combined Effect of Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺ in the ZrO₂–SiO₂ Binary System

Mechanical strength and biocompatibility are considered the main prerequisites for materials in total hip replacement or joint prosthesis. Noninvasive surgical procedures are necessary to monitor the performance of a medical device in vivo after implantation. To this aim, simultaneous Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺ additions to the ZrO₂–SiO₂ binary system were investigated. The results demonstrate the effective role of Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺ to maintain the structural and mechanical stability of cubic zirconia (<i>c</i>-ZrO₂) up to 1400 °C, through their occupancy of ZrO₂ lattice sites. A gradual tetragonal to cubic zirconia (<i>t</i>-ZrO₂ → <i>c</i>-ZrO₂) phase transition is also observed that is dependent on the Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺ content in the ZrO₂–SiO₂. The crystallization of either ZrSiO₄ or SiO₂ at elevated temperatures is delayed by the enhanced thermal energy consumed by the excess inclusion of Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺ at <i>c</i>-ZrO₂ lattice. The addition of Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺ leads to an increase in the density, elastic modulus, hardness, and toughness above that of unmodified ZrO₂–SiO₂. The multimodal imaging contrast enhancement of the Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺ combinations were revealed through magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography contrast imaging tests. Biocompatibility of the Gd³⁺ and Dy³⁺ dual-doped ZrO₂–SiO₂ systems was verified through in vitro biological studies

MOESM1 of Identification of protein lysine methylation readers with a yeast three-hybrid approach

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Representative fluorescence microscopy images documenting the co-localization of CBX1-CD fluoresence and H3K9me3 antibody staining

Phosphine-Free, Highly Emissive, Water-Soluble Mn:ZnSe/ZnS Core–Shell Nanorods: Synthesis, Characterization, and in Vitro Bioimaging of HEK293 and HeLa Cells

Phosphine-free, highly luminescent one-dimensional Mn²⁺ ion-doped ZnSe­(core)/ZnS­(shell) nanorods (NRs) were synthesized by heating-up method (core) followed by hot injection route (shell). Effect of Mn²⁺ doping and shell thickness on structural and optical properties is reported. The NRs were formed with wurtzite-structured Mn:ZnSe core (diameter 2.52 nm) encapsulated epitaxially by a wurtzite-structured ZnS shell (thickness of 3.51 nm) with 3.1% lattice mismatch that alters the band alignment of the overall core–shell structure. A redshift was observed in optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) emission due to an overall size increase with increasing shell thickness. Because of the reduction of defects/traps by surface passivation, the maximum photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) was obtained to be 49.35%. The exciton radiative lifetime for the core–shell NRs (1.678 ms) was more prolonged than that of the core (0.573 ms). A clear dependence of QY and lifetime was established on the Mn²⁺ content and ZnS shell thickness. The core–shell structure with thickest shell showed good photostability. Water solubility was achieved by ligand exchange with bifunctional 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid without modifying the optical and microstructural properties. These core–shell NRs were successfully tested for bioimaging of human HEK293 and HeLa cells with good permeability to cells. Toxicity was observed to be 3% for the 100 μg/mL dose