DNA base (cytosine) modified/capped ultrasmall Gd2S3:Eu3+ gadofluoroprobes for platelet isolation

The present letter deals with the synthesis of ultrasmall Gd2S3:Eu3+ nanoparticles and their surface modification with cytosine, a nucleobase present in DNA/RNA. These nanoparticles show orthorhombic (P-nma) crystal symmetry with excellent magnetic and luminescent characters simultaneously. In contrast to the previous reports, cytosine modified nanoparticles do not show a significant change in their structural and magnetic properties, whereas luminescence is enhanced slightly owing to the surface passivation. The in vitro studies show better accumulation of blood platelets with cytosine modified nanoparticles as compared to unmodified posing them a potential candidate for platelet isolation from the plasma for different applications and studies. (C) 2010 lAmerican Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3531550]