Advances in fluorescence sensing enabled by lanthanide-doped upconversion nanophosphors

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) exhibit unique optical properties, converting low-energy excitation to high-energy emission.
• Advantages include large anti-Stokes shifts, narrow multicolor emissions, and high stability, making them suitable for sensitive detection.
• Their negligible autofluorescence interference is crucial for accurate sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanophosphors.
• To detail the principles of efficient upconversion luminescence (UCL) construction in UCNPs.
• To highlight recent advances in UCNP-based sensing for diverse analytes and emerging applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of fundamental principles for UCNP construction and efficient UCL.
• Discussion of state-of-the-art synthesis and surface modification strategies for UCNPs.
• Compilation of current sensing applications and emerging detection technologies using UCNPs.

Main Results:

• UCNPs are effectively synthesized and modified for enhanced performance.
• UCNP-based probes demonstrate quantitative analysis capabilities for pH, ions, molecules, bacteria, reactive species, temperature, and pressure.
• Emerging applications in photodetection, velocimetry, and electromagnetic/voltage sensing are explored.

Conclusions:

• Lanthanide-doped UCNPs are versatile platforms for advanced sensing technologies.
• Continued development in UCNP synthesis and functionalization will expand their analytical capabilities.
• UCNPs show significant promise for quantitative analysis and novel sensing modalities.