Bimodal Nd-Doped LuVO<sub>4</sub> Nanoprobes Functionalized with Polyacrilic Acid for X-Ray Computed Tomography and NIR Luminescent Imaging
Nuria O Nuñez,
Fernando Cussó,
Eugenio Cantelar,
Beatriz Martin-Gracia,
Jesús M de la Fuente,
Ariadna Corral,
Marcin Balcerzyk,
Manuel Ocaña
Affiliations
Nuria O Nuñez
Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, CSIC-US, Américo Vespucio 49, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Fernando Cussó
Departamento de Física de Materiales, C-04, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Eugenio Cantelar
Departamento de Física de Materiales, C-04, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Beatriz Martin-Gracia
Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, CSIC/UniZar and CIBER-BBN, Edificio I+D, Mariano Esquillor s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Jesús M de la Fuente
Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, CSIC/UniZar and CIBER-BBN, Edificio I+D, Mariano Esquillor s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Ariadna Corral
Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA) (Universidad de Sevilla, Junta de Andalucía, CSIC), c/Thomas Alva Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Marcin Balcerzyk
Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA) (Universidad de Sevilla, Junta de Andalucía, CSIC), c/Thomas Alva Edison 7, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Manuel Ocaña
Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, CSIC-US, Américo Vespucio 49, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Uniform Nd3+-doped LuVO4 nanophosphors have been synthesized for the first time in literature by using a poliol-based method at 120 °C from Nd3+ and vanadate precursors. After optimizing the Nd doping level, these phosphors present intense luminescence in the near-infrared biological windows. The X-ray attenuation capacity of the optimum nanophosphor has been found to be higher than that of a commercial X-ray computed tomography contrast agent. After surface coating with polyacrylic acid, such nanoparticles present high colloidal stability in physiological pH medium and high cell viability. Because of these properties, the developed Nd3+-doped LuVO4 nanoparticles have potential applications as a bimodal probe for NIR luminescent bioimaging and X-ray computed tomography.
