Miniaturized Biosensors Based on Lanthanide-Doped Upconversion Polymeric Nanofibers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Electrospun nanofibers offer high surface area and porous structures ideal for nanoparticle integration.
• Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) exhibit unique optical properties including near-infrared excitation and anti-Stokes emission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review trends in embedding upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) within polymeric nanofibers.
• To explore the development of advanced miniaturized (bio)analytical devices utilizing UCNPs@nanofibers.
• To highlight the potential of UCNP-based nanofiber sensing platforms for point-of-care applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on UCNP integration into electrospun nanofibers.
• Analysis of UCNP optical properties and their suitability for sensing applications.
• Discussion of challenges in developing microfluidic (bio)analytical systems with UCNPs@nanofibers.

Main Results:

• UCNPs possess tunable luminescence, long lifetimes, and photostability, making them suitable for biological sensing and tracking.
• The combination of UCNPs and nanofibers creates a versatile platform for miniaturized analytical devices.
• Significant challenges exist in the fabrication and integration of UCNPs@nanofibers into functional microfluidic systems.

Conclusions:

• UCNP-functionalized nanofibers represent a promising approach for developing novel (bio)analytical devices.
• The unique optical properties of UCNPs enable sensitive detection and tracking in biological systems.
• Future development of UCNP-based nanofiber platforms could lead to cost-effective, portable, and user-friendly point-of-care diagnostic tools.