Incorporation of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging function into NaYF4:Yb/Tm upconversion nanoparticles for in vivo trimodal bioimaging.
Rational design and fabrication of multimodal imaging nanoprobes are of great significance for in vivo imaging. Here we report the fabrication of a multishell structured NaYF4:Yb/Tm@NaLuF4@NaYF4@NaGdF4 nanoprobe via a seed-mediated epitaxial growth strategy for upconversion luminescence (UCL), X-ray computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) trimodal imaging. Hexagonal phase NaYF4:Yb/Tm is used as the core to provide UCL, while the shell of NaLuF4 is epitaxially grown on the core not only to provide an optically inert layer for enhancing the UCL but also to serve as a contrast agent for CT. The outermost NaGdF4 shell is fabricated as a thin layer to give the high longitudinal relaxivity (r1) desired for MR imaging. The transition shell layer of NaYF4 not only provides an interface to facilitate the formation of NaGdF4 shell but also inhibits the energy transfer from inner upconversion activator to surface paramagnetic Gd(3+) ions. The fabricated multishell structured nanoprobe shows intense near-infrared UCL, high r1 value of 3.76 mM(-1) s(-1), and in vitro CT contrast effect. The multishell structured nanoprobe offers great potential for in vivo UCL/CT/MR trimodal imaging. Further covalent bonding of folic acid makes the multishell structured nanoprobe promising for in vivo targeted UCL imaging of tumor-bearing mice.
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology (Nankai University), Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), and Research Center for Analytical Sciences, College of Chemistry, Nankai University , 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China.
Ji-Wei
JW
Shen
Cheng-Xiong
CX
Yang
Lu-Xi
LX
Dong
Hao-Ran
HR
Sun
Kai
K
Gao
Xiu-Ping
XP
Yan
D000818:Animals; D005459:Fluorides / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D013932:Thulium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D015018:Ytterbium / Q000737:chemistry*; D015019:Yttrium / Q000737:chemistry*
C525362:sodium yttriumtetrafluoride; D015019:Yttrium; D013932:Thulium; D015018:Ytterbium; D005459:Fluorides