6 Conclusion Remarks
The photophysical features of UCNPs and dyes must be carefully selected when
making functional UCNHs for further applications. Several examples illustrating
successful syntheses of UCNHs containing an UCNP (e.g. UC Er , UC Tm or UC Er,Tm )
and the appropriate dye useful in sensing, PDT and/or theragnosis have been
reviewed in this chapter.
Briefly, the selected dye must absorb at some of the emissions of the activator
present in the UCNP. The photophysical and sensing properties of the dye will
determine the application of the UCNH. Several mechanisms can be outlined for the
photophysical processes following the UCNP emission: inner-filter effect or LRET.
Whenever the absorption or emission wavelength range of the dye changes, at least
one of the UCNP sharp emissions will vary. This could be used to register the
ratiometric response of a sensor (either referring to another UCNP emission or to the
dye fluorescence if that were the case).
Moreover, if the dye is able to generate reactive oxygen species, the UCNHs can
be used in PDT.
Last but not least, dyes not interfering with these photophysical events (i.e. not
absorbing or filtering the UCNP emission) can also be included in the UCNH design
to make independent tracking without applying therapy possible, thus allowing for
efficient theragnosis.
Acknowledgments The authors thank Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad
(CTQ2017-82711-P partially cofinanced with FEDER and AEI); Ministerio de Economia y
Competitividad (RTC-2016-5114-5, partially cofinanced with FEDER; MDM-2015-0538;
RYC-2013-14063 (M.G.B), FPU (J.G.F.)); Generalitat Valenciana (IDIFEDER/2018/064 and
PROMETEO/2018/138, partially cofinanced with FEDER); and Fundación Ramón Areces (M.G.
B.).
References
1. Frances-Soriano L, Zakharko MA, González-Béjar M, Panchenko PA, Herranz-Perez V,
Pritmov DA, Grin MA, Mironov AF, Garcia-Verdugo JM, Fedorova OA, Pérez-Prieto J
(2018) Chem Mater 30:3677
2. González-Béjar M, Liras M, Francés-Soriano L, Voliani V, Herranz-Pérez V, Duran-MorenoM, Garcia-Verdugo JM, Alarcon EI, Scaiano JC, Pérez-Prieto J (2014) J Mater Chem B
2:4554
3. Francés-Soriano L, González-Béjar M, Pérez-Prieto J (2016) In: Altavilla C (ed) Upconverting
nanomaterials: perspectives, synthesis, and applications. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 101–138
4. Andresen E, Resch-Genger U, Schäferling M (2019) Langmuir 35:5093
5. Sedlmeier A, Gorris HH (2015) Chem Soc Rev 44:1526
6. Chen G, Qiu H, Prasad PN, Chen X (2014) Chem Rev 114:5161
7. Li X, Zhang F, Zhao D (2015) Chem Soc Rev 44:1346
8. Smith AM, Mancini MC, Nie S (2009) Nat Nanotechnol 4:710
9. Hong G, Antaris AL, Dai H (2017) Nat Biomed Eng 1:0010
392
J. Ferrera-González et al.
The photophysical features of UCNPs and dyes must be carefully selected when
making functional UCNHs for further applications. Several examples illustrating
successful syntheses of UCNHs containing an UCNP (e.g. UC Er , UC Tm or UC Er,Tm )
and the appropriate dye useful in sensing, PDT and/or theragnosis have been
reviewed in this chapter.
Briefly, the selected dye must absorb at some of the emissions of the activator
present in the UCNP. The photophysical and sensing properties of the dye will
determine the application of the UCNH. Several mechanisms can be outlined for the
photophysical processes following the UCNP emission: inner-filter effect or LRET.
Whenever the absorption or emission wavelength range of the dye changes, at least
one of the UCNP sharp emissions will vary. This could be used to register the
ratiometric response of a sensor (either referring to another UCNP emission or to the
dye fluorescence if that were the case).
Moreover, if the dye is able to generate reactive oxygen species, the UCNHs can
be used in PDT.
Last but not least, dyes not interfering with these photophysical events (i.e. not
absorbing or filtering the UCNP emission) can also be included in the UCNH design
to make independent tracking without applying therapy possible, thus allowing for
efficient theragnosis.
Acknowledgments The authors thank Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad
(CTQ2017-82711-P partially cofinanced with FEDER and AEI); Ministerio de Economia y
Competitividad (RTC-2016-5114-5, partially cofinanced with FEDER; MDM-2015-0538;
RYC-2013-14063 (M.G.B), FPU (J.G.F.)); Generalitat Valenciana (IDIFEDER/2018/064 and
PROMETEO/2018/138, partially cofinanced with FEDER); and Fundación Ramón Areces (M.G.
B.).
References
1. Frances-Soriano L, Zakharko MA, González-Béjar M, Panchenko PA, Herranz-Perez V,
Pritmov DA, Grin MA, Mironov AF, Garcia-Verdugo JM, Fedorova OA, Pérez-Prieto J
(2018) Chem Mater 30:3677
2. González-Béjar M, Liras M, Francés-Soriano L, Voliani V, Herranz-Pérez V, Duran-MorenoM, Garcia-Verdugo JM, Alarcon EI, Scaiano JC, Pérez-Prieto J (2014) J Mater Chem B
2:4554
3. Francés-Soriano L, González-Béjar M, Pérez-Prieto J (2016) In: Altavilla C (ed) Upconverting
nanomaterials: perspectives, synthesis, and applications. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 101–138
4. Andresen E, Resch-Genger U, Schäferling M (2019) Langmuir 35:5093
5. Sedlmeier A, Gorris HH (2015) Chem Soc Rev 44:1526
6. Chen G, Qiu H, Prasad PN, Chen X (2014) Chem Rev 114:5161
7. Li X, Zhang F, Zhao D (2015) Chem Soc Rev 44:1346
8. Smith AM, Mancini MC, Nie S (2009) Nat Nanotechnol 4:710
9. Hong G, Antaris AL, Dai H (2017) Nat Biomed Eng 1:0010
392
J. Ferrera-González et al.