Highly Efficient Fluorescent Material Based on Rare-Earth-Modified Polyhydroxyalkanoates.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Traditional fluorescent materials often exhibit biotoxicity, limiting their use in biomedical applications.
• Biodegradable and biocompatible polymers like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) offer a safer alternative matrix for functional materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a highly efficient, non-toxic fluorescent material for biomedical applications.
• To create a rare-earth-modified PHA composite with enhanced photoluminescence and biocompatibility.

Main Methods:

• Microbial synthesis of a functional PHA polymer using engineered *Halomonas bluephagenesis*.
• Grafting *N*-Acetyl-l-cysteine (NAL) onto PHA via UV-initiated thiol-ene click reaction.
• Chelation of rare earth metal ions (Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺) onto NAL-grafted-PHA.

Main Results:

• The synthesized composite material displayed intense photoluminescence under UV laser excitation.
• Enhanced hydrophilicity and superior biocompatibility were confirmed for the rare-earth-chelated PHA.
• The material demonstrated excellent features suitable for fluorescent applications.

Conclusions:

• A novel, efficient, and biocompatible fluorescent material was successfully developed based on rare-earth-modified PHA.
• The developed material holds significant potential for diverse applications in the biomedical field.
• This work addresses the limitations of biotoxicity in conventional fluorescent materials.