Core-shell upconverting nanoparticles for applications in nanomedicine

Abstract

The concepts of plasmon-enhanced emission and energy transfer will be applied to the lanthanide-doped yttrium vanadate nanoparticles being studied in the MSc project. Potential applications of these upconversion nanoparticles concern the utilization of the visible light emitted under infrared excitation in order to sensitize some photoactive molecules for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Core-shell nanoparticles (YVO4:Ln@Ag/Au@SiO2) will be prepared, where Ln=Yb/Ho or Yb/Er, where Ag/Au may be a metallic shell or nanoparticles decorating the surface of the oxide nanoparticles, and where SiO2 is a thin silica outer shell to facilitate anchoring of photosensitizer on nanoconstruct. Structural and spectroscopic characterization of the new particles will be explored. Validation of nanoparticle-based photoactivated photosensitizer using spectrophotometric measurements and preliminary PDT studies will be performed with model cancer cells. Nanocomposites made from upconverting nanoparticles and metal colloids will be investigated as possible carriers of singlet oxygen photosensitizer molecules. (AU)