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Controlling the non-linear emission of upconversion nanoparticles to enhance super-resolution imaging performance
Simone De Camillis1, Peng Ren2, Yueying Cao3
1ARC Centre of excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics (CNBP), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia. simone.decamillis@mq.edu.au.
Nanoscale
|October 2, 2020
Summary
Fully Ytterbium-based core-shell upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) enhance super-resolution microscopy. Controlling their emission properties reduces power needs and enables multiplexed imaging.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Optical Microscopy
- Materials Science
Background:
- Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) possess unique optical properties beneficial for advanced imaging techniques.
- Current UCNP research focuses on enhancing luminescence via heavy doping and core-shell structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate non-linear emission properties of Yb-based core-shell UCNPs.
- Assess their impact on stimulated excitation-depletion (STED) and super-linear excitation-emission (uSEE) microscopy.
- Explore UCNPs for multiplexed super-resolution imaging.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of fully Yb-based core-shell UCNPs.
- Characterization of non-linear emission properties.
- Implementation in STED and uSEE microscopy for super-resolution imaging.
Main Results:
- Controlled power-dependent emission curves were achieved.
- Reduced excitation power requirements for sub-diffraction imaging were demonstrated.
- Successful multiplexed super-resolution imaging of a two-sample mixture was performed.
Conclusions:
- Yb-based core-shell UCNPs offer tunable emission for improved super-resolution microscopy.
- This approach relaxes doping constraints and lowers power demands.
- Enables advanced multiplexed imaging applications.
