title: Synthesis of a novel core-shell nanocomposite Ag@SiO2@Lu2O3:Gd/Yb/Er for large enhancing upconversion luminescence and bioimaging.
abstract: Upconversion nanocrystals have many advantages over other fluorescent materials. However, their upconversion luminescence intensities are not desirable, limiting their applications for highly sensitive detection. Therefore, it is really important to enhance upconversion luminescent intensities of upconversion nanocrystals. In the present study, a novel Ag core and upconversion nanocrystal shell based nanocomposite Ag@SiO2@Lu2O3:Gd/Yb/Er for metal-enhanced upconversion luminescence was fabricated successfully, and its morphology, crystalline phase, composition, optical property, and cell imaging application were investigated. It was found that a maximum upconversion luminescence enhancement of 30-fold was obtained in comparison with the control without a silver core, and the nanocomposite exhibited bright upconversion luminescence when it was used for imaging with HeLa cells. This enhancement potentially increases the overall upconversion nanocrystal detectability, endowing the nanocomposite with a potential capability for highly sensitive biological, medical, and optical detection.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University , Shanghai 200444, China.
authors.forename: Dongguang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Chengcheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Xinyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Kailin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xianzhang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yanlin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Minghong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D028581:Lanthanoid Series Elements / Q000737:chemistry*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D028581:Lanthanoid Series Elements; D012834:Silver; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
keywords: cell imaging; core−shell structure; enhancement upconversion luminescence; nanocomposite Ag@SiO2@Lu2O3:Gd/Yb/Er; synthesis