Enhancing Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Efficiency of Titania–Lanthanide Hybrid Upconversion Nanomaterials by Shortening the Donor–Acceptor Distance

Lin, Syue-Liang; Chen, Han-Chun; Chang, Cheng Allen

doi:10.3390/nano10102035

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Enhancing Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Efficiency of Titania–Lanthanide Hybrid Upconversion Nanomaterials by Shortening the Donor–Acceptor Distance

Syue-Liang Lin

^1,2,3,4,*

Han-Chun Chen

¹ and

Cheng Allen Chang

^1,2,4,*

Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan

Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan

Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan

⁴

Biomedical Engineering Research and Development Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(10), 2035; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10102035

Received: 14 September 2020 / Revised: 9 October 2020 / Accepted: 13 October 2020 / Published: 15 October 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanobiophotonics, Photomedicine, and Imaging)

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Abstract

Several robust titania (TiO₂) coated core/multishell trivalent lanthanide (Ln) upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) hybrid architecture designs have been reported for use in photodynamic therapy (PDT) against cancer, utilizing the near-infrared (NIR) excited energy down-shifting and up-conversion chain of Nd³⁺ (λ_{793-808 nm}) → Yb³⁺ (λ_{980 nm}) → Tm³⁺(λ_{475 nm}) → TiO₂ to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) for deep tissue-penetrating oxidative cytotoxicity, e.g., NaLnF₄:Yb,Tm (Ln = Y, Gd). Herein, we demonstrate that by doping the Tm³⁺ emitter ions in the outer shell and the Nd³⁺ sensitizer ions in the core, the newly designed NaYF₄:Nd,[email protected]@Yb,[email protected]₂ hybrid UCNPs exert more ROS production than the reference NaYF₄:Yb,[email protected]@Nd,[email protected] TiO₂ with the Tm³⁺ ions in the core and the Nd³⁺ ions in the outer shell, upon 793 nm laser irradiation, primarily due to the shortening of the Tm³⁺-TiO₂ distance of the former with greater Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency. After coating with polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH)/polyethylene glycol folate (PEG-FA), the resulting NaYF₄:Nd,[email protected]@Yb,[email protected]₂-PAH-PEG-FA hybrid nanocomposites could be internalized in MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, which also show low dark cytotoxicity and effective photocytotoxicity upon 793 nm excitation. These nanocomposites could be further optimized and are potentially good candidates as nanotheranostics, as well as for other light-conversion applications. View Full-Text

Keywords: Nd³⁺ sensitized upconversion; lanthanide; photodynamic therapy

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Lin, S.-L.; Chen, H.-C.; Chang, C.A. Enhancing Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Efficiency of Titania–Lanthanide Hybrid Upconversion Nanomaterials by Shortening the Donor–Acceptor Distance. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 2035. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10102035

AMA Style

Lin S-L, Chen H-C, Chang CA. Enhancing Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Efficiency of Titania–Lanthanide Hybrid Upconversion Nanomaterials by Shortening the Donor–Acceptor Distance. Nanomaterials. 2020; 10(10):2035. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10102035

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lin, Syue-Liang, Han-Chun Chen, and Cheng A. Chang. 2020. "Enhancing Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Efficiency of Titania–Lanthanide Hybrid Upconversion Nanomaterials by Shortening the Donor–Acceptor Distance" Nanomaterials 10, no. 10: 2035. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10102035

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Enhancing Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Efficiency of Titania–Lanthanide Hybrid Upconversion Nanomaterials by Shortening the Donor–Acceptor Distance

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