Dual photosensitizers material for photodynamic theraphy

• Published in: Materials research express Vol. 11; no. 11; pp. 115001 - 115011
• Main Authors: Wu, Jinhua, Qin, Liying, Jiang, Fei, Zhao, Tongkun, Zhang, Suhui, Gao, Jian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.11.2024
• Subjects: Chemical bonds; Core-shell structure; Covalent bonds; Efficiency; energy transfer; Erbium; Folic acid; Luminous efficacy; Matrix materials; PDT; photosensitizer; ROS; Thermal decomposition; Thulium; upconversion luminescence; Ytterbium
• ISSN: 2053-1591; 2053-1591
• DOI: 10.1088/2053-1591/ad8ac2

Abstract Fluoride-based upconversion luminescent materials have the advantage of low phonon energy, which can effectively reduce the non-radiative transition process, so that materials have higher luminous efficiency than other matrix materials. The core–shell NaGdF 4 :Er 3+ , Yb 3+ @NaGdF 4 :Tm 3+ , Yb 3+ nanoparticals were synthesized by thermal decomposition method. The core–shell structure can effectively avoid the surface quenching effect, meanwhile, Tm 3+ in the shell transmits part of the photons in its excited state to Er 3+ , effectively enhancing the red emission of Er 3+ and improving the luminous efficiency of the samples as a whole. The samples were further coated with a layer of mesoporous silica(mSiO 2 ), where the photosensitizer(PS) Ce6 (red light activated) and MC540 (blue-green light activated) were compounded on through covalent bonds and electrostatic forces, respectively. So that three visable lights include red, green, and blue are all emitted from the sample to activate the PSs to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) under 980 nm laser irradiation. In cells experiments, the samples were modified with folic acid (FA), which can mediated the cancer cells to target endocytosis. Notable photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficiency was observed under this dual-photosensitizers composite samples for its ROS generation.