High-Capacity Upconversion Wavelength and Lifetime Binary Encoding for Multiplexed Biodetection.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Optical multiplexing is crucial for advanced biological assays and security applications.
• Conventional methods using fluorescence color and intensity face limitations due to spectral overlap and background interference.
• Existing techniques offer limited encoding capacity, hindering scalability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a new optical multiplexing concept using upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs).
• To demonstrate a novel color/lifetime binary strategy for enhanced encoding capacity.
• To validate the strategy's utility in biological detection and anti-counterfeiting.

Main Methods:

• Designing core/multi-shell upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs).
• Manipulating luminescence emission color and decay lifetimes separately.
• Developing a controlled energy relay method for UCNP excitation.

Main Results:

• Achieved exponentially scalable encoding capacity exceeding 10^5, significantly higher than conventional methods.
• Demonstrated multiplexed detection of human papilloma virus (HPV) subtypes in patient samples.
• Successfully implemented the strategy for robust anti-counterfeiting applications.

Conclusions:

• The developed color/lifetime binary strategy offers a powerful new approach to optical multiplexing.
• This method overcomes limitations of conventional techniques, providing vastly superior encoding capacity.
• The strategy opens new avenues for luminescent materials in diverse fields, including diagnostics and security.