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Tailoring Photonic Landscape: Nanoengineering Empowers NIR-II Lanthanide Luminescence for Versatile Biomedical
Zi-Han Chen1, Zhiwei Cheng2, Yulong Xue2
1Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, College of Smart Materials and Future Energy, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Shanghai Wusong Laboratory of Materials Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Small Methods
|July 29, 2026
Summary
Lanthanide-based nanocrystals offer advanced second near-infrared (NIR-II) imaging for deep-tissue biomedical applications. Core-shell nanoengineering optimizes these probes for high-resolution imaging and therapeutic uses.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Optics
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Second near-infrared (NIR-II) imaging (1000-2500 nm) offers high-resolution deep-tissue visualization due to reduced light scattering and autofluorescence.
- Lanthanide-based nanocrystals are promising NIR-II probes due to their tunable luminescence, photostability, and energy transfer (ET) capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review rational design strategies for lanthanide core-shell nanostructures for enhanced NIR-II luminescence.
- To highlight advancements in nanoengineering for optimizing biomedical functionality of these nanoplatforms.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of photon-tissue interactions and NIR-II bioimaging windows, emphasizing long-wavelength NIR-II-L imaging.
- Analysis of interfacial engineering, ET regulation, and crystal-field modulation for luminescence optimization.
- Highlighting advanced nanoarchitectures for orthogonal luminescence, ratiometric sensing, and multifunctional integration.
Main Results:
- Core-shell nanoengineering significantly enhances lanthanide luminescence properties for biomedical applications.
- Optimized nanostructures enable high-contrast imaging, multiplexed detection, and quantitative biosensing.
- Strategies for spectral profile and lifetime modulation are crucial for advanced applications.
Conclusions:
- Lanthanide core-shell nanostructures are versatile platforms for next-generation NIR-II biomedical applications.
- Photonic nanoengineering strategies are key to advancing precision nanomedicine.
- These nanoprobes show potential in bioimaging, phototherapy, and sensitive biological detection.
