Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, 224 Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China.
Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China.
Biomater Sci. 2024 Sep 10;12(18):4650-4663. doi: 10.1039/d4bm00774c.
Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are a class of nanomaterials composed of lanthanide ions with great potential for paraclinical applications, especially in laboratory and imaging sciences. UCNPs have tunable optical properties and the ability to convert long-wavelength (low energy) excitation light into short-wavelength (high energy) emission in the ultraviolet (UV)-visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral regions. The core-shell structure of UCNPs can be customized through chemical synthesis to meet the needs of different applications. The surface of UCNPs can also be tailored by conjugating small molecules and/or targeting ligands to achieve high specificity and selectivity, which are indispensable elements in biomedical applications. Specifically, coatings can enhance the water dispersion, biocompatibility, and efficiency of UCNPs, thereby optimizing their functionality and boosting their performance. In this context, multimodal imaging can provide more accurate information when combined with nuclear imaging. This article intends to provide a comprehensive review of the core structure, structure optimization, surface modification, and various recent applications of UCNPs in biomolecular detection, cell imaging, tumor diagnosis, and deep tissue imaging. We also present and discuss some of their critical challenges, limitations, and potential future directions.
上转换纳米粒子（UCNPs）是一类由镧系离子组成的纳米材料，具有很大的临床前应用潜力，特别是在实验室和成像科学领域。UCNPs 具有可调谐的光学特性，能够将长波长（低能量）激发光转换为紫外（UV）-可见和近红外（NIR）光谱区域的短波长（高能量）发射。UCNPs 的核壳结构可以通过化学合成进行定制，以满足不同应用的需求。UCNPs 的表面也可以通过连接小分子和/或靶向配体进行修饰，以实现高特异性和选择性，这是生物医学应用中不可或缺的元素。具体来说，涂层可以增强 UCNPs 的水分散性、生物相容性和效率，从而优化其功能并提高其性能。在这种情况下，多模态成像与核成像结合使用可以提供更准确的信息。本文旨在对 UCNPs 在生物分子检测、细胞成像、肿瘤诊断和深层组织成像中的核心结构、结构优化、表面修饰以及各种最新应用进行全面综述。我们还介绍和讨论了它们的一些关键挑战、限制因素和潜在的未来发展方向。
