Design and characterization of advanced polymer-coated upconversion nanoparticles

Lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles are able to absorb low-energy near-infrared (NIR) photons and emit visible or ultraviolet light. This unique optical property enables luminescent detection without autofluorescence from biological samples that is crucial for bioimaging and diagnostics. Moreover, NIR irradiation allows to deliver light deep into the tissue, which can be used for drug or gene delivery and NIR-induced photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumors. Despite huge effort during the last 10 years devoted to the upconversion nanoparticle synthesis and their surface engineering, preparation of the particles suitable for biomedical applications still remains a big challenge. The current work is focused on synthesis of the upconversion nanoparticles with controllable morphology, size, distribution, crystallinity, and high upconversion efficiency, as well as on desirable surface modification by biocompatible inorganic or organic polymers. Neat and functionalized homogeneous silica shell was introduced on the NaYF4:Yb3+ /Er3+ and NaGdF4:Yb3+ /Er3+ nanoparticles to enhance their biocompatibility and colloidal stability in water. To render the nanoparticles with targeting moieties, their surface was decorated with cell-adhesive RGD or cell-penetrating TAT peptides. The RGD- and TAT- conjugated..

Návrh a charakterizace pokročilých světlo-konvertujících nanočástic povlečených polymerem

Světlo-konvertující nanočástice na bázi lanthanidů jsou schopné absorbovat nízko- energetické infračervené (NIR) fotony a emitovat viditelné či ultrafialové světlo. Tato unikátní optická vlastnost umožňuje luminiscenční detekci biologických vzorků bez autofluorescence, což je zásadní pro zobrazovací a diagnostické techniky v biologii a lékařství. Kromě toho NIR ozáření umožňuje průnik světla hluboko do tkáně, což lze využít pro dopravu léčiv či genů a fototerapii (PDT) tumorů. Přes velkou snahu v průběhu posledních 10 let věnovanou syntéze světlo-konvertujících lanthanidových nanočástic a inženýrství jejich povrchů, příprava částic vhodných pro biomedicinální aplikace stále zůstává velkou výzvou. Tato dizertační práce se věnuje syntéze světlo-konvertujících nanočástic s regulovanou morfologií, velikostí, distribucí velikosti, krystalinitou a vysokou světlo-konvertující účinností, stejně tak jako požadované povrchové modifikaci biokompatibilními anorganickými nebo organickými polymery. Např. vrstva siliky na povrchu NaYF4:Yb3+ /Er3+ a NaGdF4:Yb3+ /Er3+ nanočástic zlepšila jejich biokompatibilitu a koloidní stabilitu ve vodě. Dále byly na povrch nanočástic zavedeny cílující skupiny, konkrétně RGD nebo TAT peptid. Pohlcování RGD- a TAT-konjugovaných nanočástic buňkami bylo monitorováno konfokální...Lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles are able to absorb low-energy near-infrared (NIR) photons and emit visible or ultraviolet light. This unique optical property enables luminescent detection without autofluorescence from biological samples that is crucial for bioimaging and diagnostics. Moreover, NIR irradiation allows to deliver light deep into the tissue, which can be used for drug or gene delivery and NIR-induced photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumors. Despite huge effort during the last 10 years devoted to the upconversion nanoparticle synthesis and their surface engineering, preparation of the particles suitable for biomedical applications still remains a big challenge. The current work is focused on synthesis of the upconversion nanoparticles with controllable morphology, size, distribution, crystallinity, and high upconversion efficiency, as well as on desirable surface modification by biocompatible inorganic or organic polymers. Neat and functionalized homogeneous silica shell was introduced on the NaYF4:Yb3+ /Er3+ and NaGdF4:Yb3+ /Er3+ nanoparticles to enhance their biocompatibility and colloidal stability in water. To render the nanoparticles with targeting moieties, their surface was decorated with cell-adhesive RGD or cell-penetrating TAT peptides. The RGD- and TAT- conjugated...Katedra fyzikální a makromol. chemieDepartment of Physical and Macromolecular ChemistryPřírodovědecká fakultaFaculty of Scienc

Photoisomerization of Heptamethine Cyanine Dyes Results in Red- Emissive Species: Implications for Near-IR, Single-Molecule, and Super-Resolution Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Imaging

Photoisomerization kinetics of the near-infrared (NIR) fluorophore Sulfo-Cyanine7 (SCy7) was studied by a combination of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and transient state (TRAST) excitation modulation spectroscopy. A photoisomerized state with redshifted emission was identified, with kinetics consistent with a three-state photoisomerization model. Combining TRAST excitation modulation with spectrofluorimetry (spectral-TRAST) further confirmed an excitation-induced redshift in the emission spectrum of SCy7. We show how this red-emissive photoisomerized state contributes to the blinking kinetics in different emission bands of NIR cyanine dyes, and how it can influence single-molecule, super-resolution, as well as Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and multicolor readouts. Since this state can also be populated at moderate excitation intensities, it can also more broadly influence fluorescence readouts, also readouts not relying on high excitation conditions. However, this additional red-emissive state and its photodynamics, as identified and characterized in this work, can also be used as a strategy to push the emission of NIR cyanine dyes further into the NIR and to enhance photosensitization of nanoparticles with absorption spectra further into the NIR. Finally, we show that the photoisomerization kinetics of SCy7 and the formation of its redshifted photoisomer depend strongly on local environmental conditions, such as viscosity, polarity, and steric constraints, which suggests the use of SCy7 and other NIR cyanine dyes as environmental sensors. Such environmental information can be monitored by TRAST, in the NIR, with low autofluorescence and scattering conditions and on a broad range of samples and experimental conditions.Funding Agencies|Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) [ITM17-0491, RMX18-0041]; Swedish Research Council [VR 2017-04057, VR OQS 2016-06122]; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW); European Union [101017180]</p

Chitin nanofiber paper toward optical (bio)sensing applications

Altres ajuts: The ICN2 is funded by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. The financial support of "the Czech Science Foundation (No. 19-00676S)" is also greatly appreciated.Because of numerous inherent and unrivaled features of nanofibers made of chitin, the second most plentiful natural-based polymer (after cellulose), including affordability, abundant nature, biodegradability, biocompatibility, commercial availability, flexibility, transparency, and extraordinary mechanical and physicochemical properties, chitin nanofibers (ChNFs) are being applied as one of the most appealing bionanomaterials in a myriad of fields. Herein, we exploited the beneficial properties offered by the ChNF paper to fabricate transparent, efficient, biocompatible, flexible, and miniaturized optical sensing bioplatforms via embedding/immobilizing various plasmonic nanoparticles (silver and gold nanoparticles), photoluminescent nanoparticles (CdTe quantum dots, carbon dots, and NaYF:Yb@Er&SiO upconversion nanoparticles) along with colorimetric reagents (curcumin, dithizone, etc.) in the 3D nanonetwork scaffold of the ChNF paper. Several configurations, including 2D multi-wall and 2D cuvette patterns with hydrophobic barriers/walls and hydrophilic test zones/channels, were easily printed using laser printing technology or punched as spot patterns on the dried ChNF paper-based nanocomposites to fabricate the (bio)sensing platforms. A variety of (bio)chemicals as model analytes were used to confirm the efficiency and applicability of the fabricated ChNF paper-based sensing bioplatforms. The developed (bio)sensors were also coupled with smartphone technology to take the advantages of smartphone-based monitoring/sensing devices along with the Internet of Nano Things (IoNT)/the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) concepts for easy-to-use sensing applications. Building upon the unrivaled and inherent features of ChNF as a very promising bionanomaterial, we foresee that the ChNF paper-based sensing bioplatforms will emerge new opportunities for the development of innovative strategies to fabricate cost-effective, simple, smart, transparent, biodegradable, miniaturized, flexible, portable, and easy-to-use (bio)sensing/monitoring devices

Chitin nanofiber paper toward optical (bio)sensing applications

Because of numerous inherent and unrivaled features of nanofibers made of chitin, the second most plentiful natural-based polymer (after cellulose), including affordability, abundant nature, biodegradability, biocompatibility, commercial availability, flexibility, transparency, and extraordinary mechanical and physicochemical properties, chitin nanofibers (ChNFs) are being applied as one of the most appealing bionanomaterials in a myriad of fields. Herein, we exploited the beneficial properties offered by the ChNF paper to fabricate transparent, efficient, biocompatible, flexible, and miniaturized optical sensing bioplatforms via embedding/immobilizing various plasmonic nanoparticles (silver and gold nanoparticles), photoluminescent nanoparticles (CdTe quantum dots, carbon dots, and NaYF4:Yb3+@Er3+&SiO2 upconversion nanoparticles) along with colorimetric reagents (curcumin, dithizone, etc.) in the 3D nanonetwork scaffold of the ChNF paper. Several configurations, including 2D multi-wall and 2D cuvette patterns with hydrophobic barriers/walls and hydrophilic test zones/channels, were easily printed using laser printing technology or punched as spot patterns on the dried ChNF paper-based nanocomposites to fabricate the (bio)sensing platforms. A variety of (bio)chemicals as model analytes were used to confirm the efficiency and applicability of the fabricated ChNF paper-based sensing bioplatforms. The developed (bio)sensors were also coupled with smartphone technology to take the advantages of smartphone-based monitoring/sensing devices along with the Internet of Nano Things (IoNT)/the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) concepts for easy-to-use sensing applications. Building upon the unrivaled and inherent features of ChNF as a very promising bionanomaterial, we foresee that the ChNF paper-based sensing bioplatforms will emerge new opportunities for the development of innovative strategies to fabricate cost-effective, simple, smart, transparent, biodegradable, miniaturized, flexible, portable, and easy-to-use (bio)sensing/monitoring devices.Financial support from the Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Research Centre of Iran (Tehran, Iran), Iran’s National Elites Foundation (INEF), Nano Novin Polymer Co. (Iran), and the Nano Match program of Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC) are gratefully acknowledged. The ICN2 is funded by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. The ICN2 is supported by the Severo Ochoa program of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO; grant nos. SEV-2017-0706 and MAT2017-87202-P). The financial support of “the Czech Science Foundation (No. 19-00676S)” is also greatly appreciated.Peer reviewe

Measurement of Sub-femtomolar Concentrations of Prostate-Specific Antigen through Single-Molecule Counting with an Upconversion-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Single-molecule (digital) immunoassays provide the ability to detect much lower protein concentrations than conventional immunoassays. As photon-upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) can be detected without optical background interference, they are excellent labels for so-called single-molecule upconversion-linked immunosorbent assays (ULISAs). We have introduced a UCNP label design based on streptavidin-PEG-neridronate and a two-step detection scheme involving a biotinylated antibody that efficiently reduces nonspecific binding on microtiter plates. In a microtiter plate immunoassay, individual sandwich immune complexes of the cancer marker prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are detected and counted by wide-field epiluminescence microscopy (digital readout). The digital detection is 16X more sensitive than the respective analogue readout and thus expands the limit of detection to the sub-femtomolar concentration range (LOD: 23 fg mL(-1), 800 aM). The single molecule ULISA shows excellent correlation with an electrochemiluminescence reference method. Although the analogue readout can routinely measure PSA concentrations in human serum samples, very low concentrations have to be monitored after radical prostatectomy. Combining the digital and analogue readout covers a dynamic range of more than 3 orders of magnitude in a single experiment

Silica-coated upconversion lanthanide nanoparticles: The effect of crystal design on morphology, structure and optical properties

NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles were synthesized by thermal decomposition of lanthanide trifluoroacetates using oleylamine (OM) as both solvent and surface binding ligand. The effect of reaction temperature and time on the properties of the particles was investigated. The nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), dynamic light scattering (DLS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine morphology, size, polydispersity, crystal structure and elemental composition of the nanocrystals. TEM microscopy revealed that the morphology of the nanoparticles could be fine-tuned by modifying of the synthetic conditions. A cubic-to-hexagonal phase transition of the NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles at temperatures above 300 °C was confirmed by both ED and XRD. Upconversion luminescence under excitation at 980 nm was observed in the luminescence spectra of OM–NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles. Finally, the OM–NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles were coated with a silica shell to enable further functionalization and increase biocompatibility and stability in aqueous media, preventing particle aggregation

Rose Bengal-Modified Upconverting Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Evaluation

High-quality upconverting NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles (UCNPs; 26 nm in diameter) based on lanthanides were synthesized by a high-temperature coprecipitation method. The particles were modified by bisphosphonate-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and Rose Bengal (RB) photosensitizer. The particles were thoroughly characterized using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR, and X-ray photoelectron and upconversion luminescence spectroscopy in terms of morphology, hydrodynamic size, composition, and energy transfer to the photosensitizer. Moreover, the singlet oxygen generation from RB-containing UCNPs was investigated using 9,10-diphenylanthracene probe under 980 nm excitation. The cytotoxicity of UCNPs before and after conjugation with RB was evaluated on highly sensitive rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) and significant differences were found. Correspondingly, consi-derable variations in viability were revealed between the irradiated and non-irradiated rat glioma cell line (C6) exposed to RB-conjugated UCNPs. While the viability of rMSCs was not affected by the presence of UCNPs themselves, the cancer C6 cells were killed after the irradiation at 980 nm due to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, thus suggesting the potential of RB-conjugated PEG-modified UCNPs for applications in photodynamic therapy of cancer

Bioconjugates of photon-upconversion nanoparticles for cancer biomarker detection and imaging

Gorris et al. present the synthesis, biofunctionalization and purification of lanthanide-doped photon-upconversion nanoparticles and describe their application in both immunoassays for sensitive detection of blood-based biomarkers and bioimaging of cancer cells. The detection of cancer biomarkers in histological samples and blood is of paramount importance for clinical diagnosis. Current methods are limited in terms of sensitivity, hindering early detection of disease. We have overcome the shortcomings of currently available staining and fluorescence labeling methods by taking an integrative approach to establish photon-upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) as a powerful platform for cancer detection. These nanoparticles are readily synthesized in different sizes to yield efficient and tunable short-wavelength light emission under near-infrared excitation, which eliminates optical background interference of the specimen. Here we present a protocol for the synthesis of UCNPs by high-temperature co-precipitation or seed-mediated growth by thermal decomposition, surface modification by silica or poly(ethylene glycol) that renders the particles resistant to nonspecific binding, and the conjugation of streptavidin or antibodies for biological detection. To detect blood-based biomarkers, we present an upconversion-linked immunosorbent assay for the analog and digital detection of the cancer marker prostate-specific antigen. When applied to immunocytochemistry analysis, UCNPs enable the detection of the breast cancer marker human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 with a signal-to-background ratio 50-fold higher than conventional fluorescent labels. UCNP synthesis takes 4.5 d, the preparation of the antibody-silica-UCNP conjugate takes 3 d, the streptavidin-poly(ethylene glycol)-UCNP conjugate takes 2-3 weeks, upconversion-linked immunosorbent assay takes 2-4 d and immunocytochemistry takes 8-10 h. The procedures can be performed after standard laboratory training in nanomaterials research