Issue 34, 2018

Time-dependent luminescence loss for individual upconversion nanoparticles upon dilution in aqueous solution

Abstract

Single-particle luminescence microscopy is a powerful method to extract information on biological systems that is not accessible by ensemble-level methods. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are a particularly promising luminophore for single-particle microscopy as they provide stable, non-blinking luminescence and allow the avoidance of biological autofluorescence by their anti-Stokes emission. Recently, ensemble measurements of diluted aqueous dispersions of UCNPs have shown the instability of luminescence over time due to particle dissolution-related effects. This can be especially detrimental for single-particle experiments. However, this effect has never been estimated at the individual particle level. Here, the luminescence response of individual UCNPs under aqueous conditions is investigated by quantitative wide-field microscopy. The particles exhibit a rapid luminescence loss, accompanied by large changes in spectral response, leading to a considerable heterogeneity in their luminescence and band intensity ratio. Moreover, the dissolution-caused intensity loss is not correlated with the initial particle intensity or band ratio, which makes it virtually unpredictable. These effects and the subsequent development of their heterogeneity can be largely slowed down by adding millimolar concentrations of sodium fluoride in buffer. As a consequence, the presented data indicate that microscopy experiments employing UCNPs in an aqueous environment should be performed under conditions that carefully prevent these effects.

Graphical abstract: Time-dependent luminescence loss for individual upconversion nanoparticles upon dilution in aqueous solution

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
14 Maijs 2018
Accepted
30 Jūl. 2018
First published
31 Jūl. 2018

Nanoscale, 2018,10, 15904-15910

Time-dependent luminescence loss for individual upconversion nanoparticles upon dilution in aqueous solution

O. Dukhno, F. Przybilla, V. Muhr, M. Buchner, T. Hirsch and Y. Mély, Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 15904 DOI: 10.1039/C8NR03892A

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