Manganese-doped cesium iodide nanoparticles for multi-model bioimaging

The severe threat posed by heavy-metal-containing alkali halides to environment and humans demands heavy-metal-free alkali halides without compromising their exceptional optoelectronic characteristics. In this study, manganese doped cesium iodide (CsI:Mn2+) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via the hot injection method, while retaining their optoelectronic attributes. Results corroborate manganese doping has no noticeable effect on blue emission of CsI NPs and shows well-dispersed particles with an average size of 10 nm. Due to the strong fluorescence, the CsI:Mn2+ NPs can be used for cell imaging, and have demonstrated the exceptional computed X-ray tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging potential as compared to the conventional clinical and nanosized manganese contrast agents. These findings have thus broadened the scope of potential biomedical applications of this kind of NPs for theranostics. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.