Premium
One‐Pot Template‐Free Synthesis of NaYF 4 Upconversion Hollow Nanospheres for Bioimaging and Drug Delivery
Author(s) -
Tian Gan,
Duan Longsheng,
Zhang Xiao,
Yin Wenyan,
Yan Liang,
Zhou Liangjun,
Liu Xiaodong,
Zheng Xiaopeng,
Li Jinxia,
Gu Zhanjun,
Zhao Yuliang
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemistry – an asian journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1861-471X
pISSN - 1861-4728
DOI - 10.1002/asia.201301695
Subject(s) - ostwald ripening , materials science , photon upconversion , nanotechnology , nanomaterials , drug delivery , polyetherimide , chemical engineering , hydrothermal circulation , polymer , luminescence , optoelectronics , composite material , engineering
Hollow‐structured nanomaterials with fluorescent properties are extremely attractive for image‐guided cancer therapy. In this paper, sub‐100 nm and hydrophilic NaYF 4 upconversion (UC) hollow nanospheres (HNSs) with multicolor UC luminescence and drug‐delivery properties were successfully prepared by a facile one‐pot template‐free hydrothermal route using polyetherimide (PEI) polymer as the stabilizing agent. XRD, SEM, TEM, and N 2 ‐adsorption/desorption were used to characterize the as‐obtained products. The growth mechanism of the HNSs has been systematically investigated on the basis of the Ostwald ripening. Under 980 nm excitation, UC emissions of HNSs can be tuned by a simple change of the concentration or combination of various upconverters. As a result, the PEI‐coated HNSs could be used as efficient probes for in vitro upconversion luminescence (UCL) cell imaging. Furthermore, a doxorubicin storage/release behavior and cancer‐cell‐killing ability investigation reveal that the product has the potential to be a drug carrier for cancer therapy.