Ming Jiang, Xie Zheng, Wu Jiaxin, Zhang Fan
Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials and iChem, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Nat Protoc. 2025 Sep 4. doi: 10.1038/s41596-025-01245-6.
The versatility of lanthanide-doped near-infrared (NIR, 700-1,700 nm) luminescent nanoparticles makes them valuable tools in various scientific and technological fields, from bioimaging to information security. However, the luminescence intensity of typical lanthanide-doped nanoparticles is significantly influenced by the efficiency of the sensitizer. The introduction of transition metal ions (such as Cr, Mn and Ni) can greatly enrich the library of lanthanide NIR luminescence nanoparticles. We have reported a new crystalline nanoparticle, NaCrF, for high-brightness NIR emission from lanthanide activators (such as Er, Tm, Yb or Nd). As an emerging luminescent material, a straightforward and scalable synthesis approach for these nanostructures holds promise for their broader application. Here we have refined and standardized the steps for transition metal-sensitized lanthanide luminescent nanoparticles, thereby establishing a library of advanced luminescent materials for researchers engaged in luminescent materials. The Protocol enables the precise preparation of chromium-, manganese- and nickel-trifluoroacetate, the synthesis of three types of transition metal-sensitized lanthanide nanoparticle and the fabrication of chromium-sensitized lanthanide homogeneous and heterogeneous nanostructure. Moreover, we provide verification protocols for each step's output and guidelines for adjusting synthesis conditions. To aid in the reproducible synthesis of these nanoparticles, we also include a troubleshooting guide of the various stages. The estimated duration for synthesizing transition metal trifluoroacetate, transition metal-sensitized lanthanide nanoparticles and core-shell transition metal-sensitized lanthanide nanoparticles are ~70, 30 and 30 h, respectively. These procedures can be carried out by users with expertise in chemistry or materials science.
镧系元素掺杂的近红外（NIR，700 - 1700 nm）发光纳米粒子的多功能性使其成为从生物成像到信息安全等各种科学技术领域的宝贵工具。然而，典型的镧系元素掺杂纳米粒子的发光强度受到敏化剂效率的显著影响。过渡金属离子（如Cr、Mn和Ni）的引入可以极大地丰富镧系近红外发光纳米粒子的种类。我们报道了一种新型晶体纳米粒子NaCrF，用于镧系激活剂（如Er、Tm、Yb或Nd）的高亮度近红外发射。作为一种新兴的发光材料，一种直接且可扩展的合成方法有望使其得到更广泛的应用。在这里，我们完善并规范了过渡金属敏化镧系发光纳米粒子的步骤，从而为从事发光材料研究的人员建立了一个先进发光材料库。该方案能够精确制备铬、锰和镍的三氟乙酸盐，合成三种类型的过渡金属敏化镧系纳米粒子，并制备铬敏化镧系均匀和异质纳米结构。此外，我们还提供了每个步骤输出的验证方案以及调整合成条件的指南。为了帮助可重复合成这些纳米粒子，我们还包括了各个阶段的故障排除指南。合成过渡金属三氟乙酸盐、过渡金属敏化镧系纳米粒子和核壳过渡金属敏化镧系纳米粒子的估计时间分别约为70小时、30小时和30小时。这些程序可以由具有化学或材料科学专业知识的用户进行操作。
