Alexander S. Vanetsev

Neodymium-doped nanoparticles for infrared fluorescence bioimaging: The role of the host

The spectroscopic properties of different infrared-emitting neodymium-doped nanoparticles (LaF3:Nd3+, SrF2:Nd3+, NaGdF4: Nd3+, NaYF4: Nd3+, KYF4: Nd3+, GdVO4: Nd3+, and Nd:YAG) have been systematically analyzed. A comparison of the spectral shapes of both emission and absorption spectra is presented, from which the relevant role played by the host matrix is evidenced. The lack of a “universal” optimum system for infrared bioimaging is discussed, as the specific bioimaging application and the experimental setup for infrared imaging determine the neodymium-doped nanoparticle to be preferentially used in each case.

Stabilizer-free silver nanoparticles as efficient catalysts for electrochemical reduction of oxygen

In this work we demonstrated the potential of the He+5% H2+1% N2 plasma jet treatment for the synthesis of surfactant-free silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with narrow size distribution. The obtained colloidal solutions of electrostatically stabilized Ag NPs do not show any agglomeration for several months. Apart from an atomic thin oxide layer and the relatively weakly bound OH- ions, the surface of Ag NPs can be considered as stabilizer-free. The surface charge (characterized by the zeta potential) of Ag NPs in solution was measured by electrophoretic light scattering technique. Plasmonic band position and width in the UV/VIS extinction spectra was utilized for the assessment of Ag NPs size distribution. Highly concentrated Ag NPs were uniformly deposited on the surface of the glassy carbon (GC) electrodes by vacuum-drying technique. The deposition process was monitored with a digital camera attached to a microscope. The assemblies of Ag NPs on the electrode surface were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The Ag NP/GC catalysts were electrochemically tested in alkaline solution using the rotating disk electrode method. The Ag NP/GC electrodes exhibited high electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in 0.1M KOH solution, indicating their potential applicability as cathode materials for alkaline fuel cells.

Subtissue Imaging and Thermal Monitoring of Gold Nanorods through Joined Encapsulation with Nd-Doped Infrared-Emitting Nanoparticles.

Encapsulation of gold nanorods together with Nd-doped fluorescent nanoparticles in a biocompatible polymer creates multifunctional nanostructures, whose infrared fluorescence allows their subcutaneous localization in biological tissues while also adding the ability to measure the temperature from the emitted light in order to better monitor the light-to-heat conversion of the gold nanorods during photothermal therapy.

Laser heating of the Y 1-x Dy x PO 4 nanocrystals

We propose a novel material prepared by microwave-hydrothermal treatment, the tetragonal xenotime-type yttrium orthophosphate YPO4 nanocrystals doped by different concentrations of Dy3+. It may be suitable for laser-induced local heating of cancer tumors for hyperthermia. We heated a powder consisted of the nanoparticles by focused quasi-CW laser irradiation at different wavelengths in the near IR spectral range fitting the transparency window of biological tissues. The local temperature on the surface of the powder in the place of irradiation increases linearly with increasing laser power and increasing the Dy3+ concentration. At the same time the efficiency of local heating Φ = ΔT / (P f) (ΔT is a local temperature increase, f is an oscillator strength of absorption transition, and P is the quantity of laser power) is proportional to the energy of the initially excited electronic level. The proposed method allows for high rates of heating and cooling. The laser power used for heating was rather low, tens of milliwatts that together with short heating time to required temperature may result in extremely low doses of laser irradiation for heating.

Broadband white radiation in Yb3+- and Er3+-doped nanocrystalline powders of yttrium orthophosphates irradiated by 972-nm laser radiation

The up-conversion luminescence of Er3+ from the 2H11/2, 4S3/2, and 4F9/2 levels in nanocrystals of Y0.95(1‒x)Yb0.95xEr0.05PO4 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1) orthophosphates activated with Er3+ ions has been studied under the excitation of Yb3+ ions to the 2F5/2 level by 972-nm cw laser radiation. Broadband radiation in the wavelength range of 370–900 nm has been observed at certain power densities of exciting laser radiation; this broadband radiation is absent in the case of excitation of the powders under study by pulsed laser radiation with a wavelength of 972 nm at a pulse repetition frequency of 10 Hz and a duration of a pulse of 15 ns. Experimental data indicating that this radiation is thermal in nature have been presented.

Features of the interaction of near-infrared laser radiation with Yb-doped dielectric nanoparticles

Experimental data have been presented to confirm the thermal nature of broadband visible radiation emitted from Yb3+- and Er3+-doped nanocrystalline particles of orthophosphates and orthophosphate hydrates irradiated by 972-nm near-infrared laser radiation. The mechanism of appearance of this radiation has been discussed.

Experimental modeling of local laser hyperthermia using thermosensitive nanoparticles absorbing in NIR

In this work we investigated the use of composite crystalline core/shell nanoparticles LaF3:Nd3+(1%)@DyPO4 for fluorescence-based contactless thermometry, as well as laser-induced hyperthermia effect in optical model of biological tissue with modeled neoplasm. In preparation for this, a thermal calibration of the nanoparticles luminescence spectra was carried out. The results of the spectroscopic temperature measurement were compared to infrared thermal camera measurements. It showed that there is a significant difference between temperature recorded with IR camera and the actual temperature of the nanoparticles in the depth of the tissue model. The temperature calculated using the spectral method was up to 10 °C higher.

ВИЗУАЛИЗАЦИЯ НАНОЧАСТИЦ LaF3, ДОПИРОВАННЫХ Nd3+, ДЛЯ БИОИМИДЖИНГА В БЛИЖНЕМ ИНФРАКРАСНОМ ДИАПАЗОНЕ ПО АП-КОНВЕРСИОННОЙ ЛЮМИНЕСЦЕНЦИИ ПРИ МИКРОСКОПИИ С МУЛЬТИФОТОННЫМ ВОЗБУЖДЕНИЕМ

Ryabova A.V.1, Keevend K.2, Tsolaki E.3, Bertazzo S.3, Pominova D.V.1, Romanishkin I.D.1, Grachev P.V. 1, Makarov V.I.1, Burmistrov I.A.4, Vanetsev A.S.1,6, Orlovskaya E.O.1, Baranchikov A.E.5, R hn M.6, Sildos I.6, Sammelselg V.6, Loschenov V.B.1, Orlovskii Y.V.1,6 General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), St. Gallen, Switzerland University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow, Russia Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia