One-step nucleotide-programmed growth of porous upconversion nanoparticles: application to cell labeling and drug delivery

• Published in: Nanoscale Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 1445 - 1452
• Main Authors: Zhou, Li, Li, Zhenhua, Liu, Zhen, Yin, Meili, Ren, Jinsong, Qu, Xiaogang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Colloids - chemistry; Drug Carriers; Green Chemistry Technology; Humans; Luminescence; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanotechnology; Nucleotides - chemistry; Photochemotherapy; Porosity; Singlet Oxygen - chemistry; Solvents - chemistry
• ISSN: 2040-3364; 2040-3372
• DOI: 10.1039/c3nr04255c

A simple and "green" strategy has been reported for the first time to fabricate upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) by utilizing nucleotides as bio-templates. The influence of the functionalities present on the nucleotide on the production of nanoparticles was investigated in detail. Through the effects of nucleotides, the obtained nanoparticles possessed a porous structure. The use of the as-prepared UCNPs for cell imaging, drug delivery and versatile therapy applications were demonstrated. In view of the bright up-conversion luminescence as well as the excellent biocompatibility, and the good colloidal stability of the as-prepared UCNPs, we envision that our synthesis protocol might advance both the fields of UCNPs and biomolecule-based nanotechnology for future studies.