Laura Francés-Soriano

University of Valencia | UV · Institute for Molecular Science (ICMol)

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are considered a new type of luminescent materials because they can absorb in the NIR region and emit in the UV-vis-NIR region. In this chapter, the modifications and strategies reported in the literature to improve the efficiency of UCNPs and upconversion nanohybrids (UCNHs) together with their use to design Reso...

Artificial chiral nanoparticles exhibit unique optical and (photo)physical properties. They can be all‐inorganic or organic–inorganic materials that are usually confined to the nanoscale by anchoring organic ligands to their surface. The ligands can also possess distinctive optical and/or (photo)physical properties, thereby adding functionality to...

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are some of the most promising nanomaterials for bioanalytical and biomedical applications. One important challenge to be still solved is how UCNPs can be optimally implemented into Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensing and bioimaging for highly sensitive, wash-free, multiplexed, accurate, and precis...

Despite the significant advancements of developing upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) for high performance biosensing and bioimaging, the development of DNA‐functionalized UCNPs with thin coatings, efficient surface passivation, and fully functional DNAs for hybridization sensing in biological media remains extremely challenging. Here, a straightfo...

Near-infrared optical imaging offers some advantages over conventional imaging, such as deeper tissue penetration, low or no autofluorescence, and reduced tissue scattering. Lanthanide-doped nanoparticles (LnNPs) have become a trend in the field of photoactive nanomaterials for optical imaging due to their unique optical features and because they c...

Since their very first discovery, the luminescence properties of lanthanide (Ln) compounds have attracted the interest of researchers worldwide and have found numerous applications, particularly as very effective tools for luminescence imaging. Covering the whole spectral domain from the UV to the NIR, depending on the utilized Ln, this series of e...

Upconversion nanoparticles have led to various breakthrough applications in solar energy conversion, imaging, and biomedicine. One key impediment is the facilitation of such processes at the molecular scale in solution where quenching effects are much more pronounced. In this work, molecular solution-state cooperative luminescence (CL) upconversion...

Nanoparticles for medical use should be non-cytotoxic and free of bacterial contamination. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) coated with cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) made by combining UCNPs free of oleic acid, here termed bare UCNPs (UCn), and CB[7], i.e., UC@CB[7] nanohybrids, could be used as photoactive inorganic-organic hybrid scaffolds for biologi...

Upconversion nanoparticles have led to various breakthrough applications in solar energy conversion, imaging, and biomedicine. One key impediment is the facilitation of such processes at the molecular scale in solution where quenching effects are much more pronounced. In this work we explore, for the first time, molecular solution-state cooperative...

Upconversion nanoparticles have led to various breakthrough applications in solar energy conversion, imaging, and biomedicine. One key impediment is the facilitation of such processes at the molecular scale in solution where quenching effects are much more pronounced. In this work we explore, for the first time, molecular solution-state cooperative...

Correction for ‘NIR laser scanning microscopy for photophysical characterization of upconversion nanoparticles and nanohybrids’ by Juan Ferrera-González et al. , Nanoscale , 2021, 13 , 10067–10080, DOI: 10.1039/D1NR00389E.

Photophysical characterization of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and nanohybrids (UCNHs) is more challenging than that of down-conversion nanomaterials. Moreover, it is still difficult to gain knowledge about the homogeneity of the sample and colocalization of emissive chromophores and nanoparticles in nanohybrids. Near infrared laser scanning...

Fluorescence signal enhancement via isothermal nucleic acid amplification is an important approach for sensitive imaging of intra- or extracellular nucleic acid or protein biomarkers. Rolling circle amplification (RCA) is frequently applied for fluorescence in situ imaging but faces limitations concerning multiplexing, dynamic range, and the requir...

Here we show that nonanuclear lanthanide complexes respresent a new class of solution state UC molecules. For a composition of one Tb per eight Yb the nonanuclear complexes display a very efficient upconversion phenomenon with Tb luminescence in the visible region upon 980 nm NIR excitation of Yb. An unprecedented value of 1.0×10-7 was obtained for...

p>Up until now restricted to solid state chemistry and nanoparticles, upconversion (UC) phenomena by which low energy photons are piled up to engender higher energy emission, are progressively entering the field of molecular probes with a handful of molecular/supramolecular discrete complexes. Here we show that nonanuclear lanthanide complexes resp...

Novel trifunctional ligands enable simultaneous bioconjugation (e.g., to antibodies), attachment to nanoparticle surfaces, and photosensitization of Tb ions, affording ultrabright biofunctionalized Tb nanoparticles. These luminescent nanoparticle bioconjugates were successfully implemented in time‐gated FRET spectroscopy and luminescence microscopy...

Lanthanide‐doped nanoparticles (LnNPs) have become an important class of fluorophores for advanced biosensing and bioimaging. LnNPs that are photosensitized by surface‐attached antenna ligands can possess exceptional brightness. However, their functional bioconjugation remains an important challenge for their translation into bioanalytical applicat...

PAPER Marta Maria Natile, Niko Hildebrandt et al. Er 3+-to-dye energy transfer in DNA-coated core and core/shell/shell upconverting nanoparticles with 980 nm and 808 nm excitation of Yb 3+ and Nd 3+

The capability of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) to convert near infrared (NIR) into visible light has become an important feature for biosensing, imaging, therapy, and their combination. While significant achievements have been accomplished during the last decade developing nanohybrids based on UCNPs as energy donors in Förster resonance energ...

In vitro diagnostics is an important application for nanoparticles in the life sciences and has attracted continuous research interest. While nanoparticles can be used as single luminescent probes, their unique photophysical properties provide many more advantages when they are combined with other nanoparticles or molecules to form energy transfer...

EPA Newsletter, 2018, 95, 38-41

Up to now, most strategies to build efficient 800-nm-light responsive upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have included onion-layered structures, in which Nd3+ is confined within the inorganic crystal structure of at least one layer. We report here an easy room-temperature modular preparation of core-shell UCNPs consisting of NaYF4:Yb,Er(Tm)/NaYF4 (...

EPA Newsletter, 2018, 94, 99-101

Theranostic upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are ideal candidates for personalized medicine. We present a smart, easy-to-prepare nanohybrid (NH) suitable for NIR-theragnosis and imaging tracking without triggering therapy simultaneously. The photophysical features of each component have been carefully selected in order to maximize the capabilitie...

In the last decades nanochemistry has reached great interest due to the importance of developing innovative and unique materials at nanometric scale, specifically nanoparticles. The properties of nanomaterials differ from those at a larger scale, so nanochemistry open innovative ways in science to develop materials with new properties and novel per...

CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite nanoparticles (PAD) are prepared with a photoluminescence quantum yield of ≈100% in air atmosphere by using the quasi-spherical shaped 2-adamantylammonium bromide (ADBr) as the only capping ligand. The photostability under wet conditions of this kind of nanoparticles is enhanced by using cucurbit[7]uril-adamantylammonium (AD@...

Upconversion-perovskite nanohybrids are prepared by assembling CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite nanoparticles (PK) with naked NaYF4:Yb3+,Tm3+ nanoparticles (UCn) via an innovative strategy consisting of using cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) to anchor the perovskite nanoparticles firmly and closely to the upconversion nanoparticles, thus leading to UCn@PKCB nanohybri...

Nanomaterials are proving useful for regenerative medicine in combination with stem cell therapy. Nanoparticles (NPs) can be administrated and targeted to desired tissues or organs and subsequently be used in non-invasive real-time visualization and tracking of cells by means of different imaging techniques, can act as therapeutic agent nanocarrier...

Water-dispersible upconversion nanoparticles (β-NaYF4:Yb(3+),Er(3+), UCNP) coated with a thin shell of a biocompatible copolymer comprising 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulphonsulphonic acid (AMPS), which we will term COP, have been prepared by multidentate grafting. This capping is remarkably resistant to st...

The chemical architecture of lanthanide doped core-shell up-converting nano-particles can be engineered to purposely design the properties of luminescent nano-materials, which are typically inaccessible to homogeneous counterparts. Such approach allowed to shift the up-conversion excitation wavelength from ∽980 to more relevant ∽800 nm or enable Tb...

Steady-state and time-resolved emission studies on nanohybrids consisting of NaYF4:Yb,Er and a diiodo-substituted Bodipy (UCNP-IBDP) show that the Yb(3+) metastable state, formed after absorption of a near-infrared (NIR) photon, can decay via two competitive energy transfer processes: sensitization of IBDP after absorption of a second NIR photon an...

Rare earth nanocrystalline phosphors exhibit unique upconversion luminescence with sharp bandsand long emission lifetimes. Upconversion luminescence is a process in which two or more low energy photons (near-infrared light) are converted into higher energy photons (visible light). Near infrared light allows deeper tissue penetration and suppresses...

Spontaneous adsorption of cucurbit[n]uril CB[n] (n = 6, 7, and 8) on the surface of naked upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), in particular, NaYF4:Er(3+)(2%),Yb(3+)(18%) gave rise to UCNP@CB[n] exclusion complexes. These complexes proved to be highly stable as well as highly emissive under near-infrared excitation. By using two tricyclic basic dyes...

Upconversion nanoparticles (β-NaYF4:Er3+, Yb3+, UCNPs) were capped with a thin polymer shell by replacing the oleate ligand of hydrophobic UCNPs by multidentate thiolate-grafting of P(MEO2MA-co-SEMA) copolymers. The presence of the 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl side chains of MEO2MA extending out of the nanohybrid made them water-dispersible. The UCNP@P...

Curcubit[7]urils-capped NaYF 4 : Yb 3+ (18%), Er 3+ (2%) nanoparticles. Surface modification of nanoparticle with cyclic molecules wich have molecular recognition abilities holds great importance in the construction of functional nanodevices. Curcubit[n]urils (CB[n]) are a family of water soluble macrocycles of glycoluril units which have increased...

Texture and phase recognition analysis (TPRA) based on electron nanodiffraction technique is used to characterize the geometry of up-conversion nanocrystals (UCNCs) synthesized by the common thermal-decomposition protocol in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of NH4F. Here, we confirmed experimentally that despite the apparently different shap...

We report the preparation of water-dispersible, ca. 30 nm-sized nanohybrids containing NaYF4:Er3+, Yb3+ up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), capped with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivative and highly loaded with a singlet oxygen photosensitizer, specifically a diiodo-substituted Bodipy (IBDP). The photosensitizer, bearing a carboxylic group, was...

We report the preparation of water-dispersible, ca. 30 nm-sized nanohybrids containing NaYF4:Er3+, Yb3+ up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), capped with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivative and highly loaded with a singlet oxygen photosensitizer, specifically a diiodo-substituted Bodipy (IBDP). The photosensitizer, bearing a carboxylic group, was...

Amine-capped, lipophilic CdSe/ZnS quantum dots can be transferred in the presence of a switchable surfactant, specifically N′-oleyl-N,N-dimethylacetamidine, from an organic phase to water and then reverted to the organic phase simply by the addition/removal of carbon dioxide. The strategy is based on interdigitation of the surfactant between the no...

Gold nanoparticles capped with oleylamine can be effectively transferred from an organic solvent to water in the presence of an acetamidine surfactant by CO2 bubbling and then effectively reverted back to the organic phase by N2 bubbling.

Se ha aplicado la topología molecular y el análisis de regresión multilineal en la búsqueda de un modelo de relación cuantitativa estructura-actividad (QSAR) capaz de predecir la capacidad de biodegradación anaerobia de un grupo de clorofenoles. Tomando el valor de la constante de velocidad de desaparición del derivado clorofenólico ,log k, como va...

The first excited electronic state of molecular oxygen, O(2)(a(1)Δ(g)), is formed in the upper atmosphere by the photolysis of O(3). Its lifetime is over 70 min above 75 km, so that during the day its concentration is about 30 times greater than that of O(3). In order to explore its potential reactivity with atmospheric constituents produced by met...