Work

Rechargeable Afterglow Superclusters for NIR-Excitable Repetitive Phototherapy

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Afterglow luminescence has attracted increasing attention due to its prolonged emission, reduced autofluorescence, and minimized photodamage. However, persistent luminescence typically requires high-energy excitation (e.g., ultraviolet and visible light), which has limited tissue penetration. Herein, we have developed a one-pot surface segregation strategy to construct NIR-excitable afterglow superclusters (UCZG-SCs) by modularly assembling spinel-phase afterglow nanoparticles (Zn 1.1 Ga 1.8 Ge 0.1 O 4:Cr 3+ ) and hexagonal-phase upconversion nanoparticles (NaYF 4:Yb,Tm@NaLuF 4:Y). Since the proposed methodology does not require crystal lattice similarity, it enables fabrication of various NIR-excitable persistent superclusters with great flexibility in size, composition, and luminescent profiles. As a proof of concept, an injectable persistent implant is established by embedding UCZG-SCs in the oleosol of poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid)/ N -methylpyrrolidone, which serves as an inner-body lamp to excite photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy. With its excellent charging–recharging stability, a repetitive phototherapy under periodic 980 nm light illumination is accomplished, which significantly improves phototherapeutic efficiency and restrains tumor growth.

Source: Nano Letters

DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c04719