Mesoporous upconversion nanoparticles modified with a Tb(III) complex to display both green upconversion and downconversion luminescence for in vitro bioimaging and sensing of temperature

A new multifunctional nanocomposite is described that displays both upconversion and downconversion luminescence. It is based on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with a mesoporous coating that is boned with a terbium(III) complex. The modified mesoporous nanocomposite was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and photoluminescence spectra. They display dual (green and red) fluorescence under 980-nm excitation, and green fluorescence under 365-nm excitation. Both emissions can be easily detected by bare eyes. The material has low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility as proven by the methyl thiazolyltetrazolium (MTT) assay. The nanocomposite was successfully applied to upconversion luminescence based in-vitro confocal imaging of the cytosol of murine macrophage cells (RAW264.7), and this resulted in images of excellent contrast. In addition, the particles display strongly temperature-dependent luminescence in the range from 280 K to 330 K.