Bifunctional Luminomagnetic Rare-Earth Nanorods for High-Contrast Bioimaging Nanoprobes

Abstract

Nanoparticles exhibiting both magnetic and luminescent properties are need of the hour for many biological applications. A single compound exhibiting this combination of properties is uncommon. Herein, we report a strategy to synthesize a bifunctional luminomagnetic Gd2−xEuxO3 (x = 0.05 to 0.5) nanorod, with a diameter of ~20 nm and length in ~0.6 μm, using hydrothermal method. Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanorods have been characterized by studying its structural, optical and magnetic properties. The advantage offered by photoluminescent imaging with Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanorods is that this ultrafine nanorod material exhibits hypersensitive intense red emission (610 nm) with good brightness (quantum yield more than 90%), which is an essential parameter for high-contrast bioimaging, especially for overcoming auto fluorescent background. The utility of luminomagnetic nanorods for biological applications in high-contrast cell imaging capability and cell toxicity to image two human breast cancer cell lines T47D and MDA-MB-231 are also evaluated. Additionally, to understand the significance of shape of the nanostructure, the photoluminescence and paramagnetic characteristic of Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanorods were compared with the spherical nanoparticles of Gd2O3:Eu3+.

Probing into Bifunctional Luminomagnetic Upconverting Nanorods for External Magnetic Tracking Applications

“…In other words, nanorods attach more efficiently with target cells in comparison to spherical counterparts. Our previous work on Eu 3+ doped Gd 2 O 3 nanomaterial has also shown the same . Also, for the rod like morphology, the upconversion luminescence intensity and the MRI contrast is reported to be larger than that for spherical morphology …”

“…In particular, bi‐functional nanomaterials having both photoluminescent and magnetic properties in a single entity are potential candidates for cellular labeling, drug delivery with high‐contrast fluorescent imaging, and MRI . Also, the co‐existence of magnetic features along with photoluminescence enables outside control over these nanoparticles under an external magnetic field, and thus these can be used for targeted drug delivery . But the natural inexistence of such kind of materials having magnetism and photoluminescence coexisting together has ignited research in the synthesis of biocompatible bi‐functional luminomagnetic nanomaterials.…”

Interfacial Phenomenon and Nanostructural Enhancements in Palladium Loaded Lanthanum Hydroxide Nanorods for Heterogeneous Catalytic Applications

“…Recent years have witnessed considerable interest of rare earth oxides and hydroxides in catalysis 10,11 luminescent devices, communication 12 time resolved fluorescence (TRF) labels for biological detection 13,14 and many others applications on account of their unique optical, electronic, magnetic and chemical properties arising from their 4  f electrons 15–17 . Lanthanum oxide have been used for oxidation of methane 18,19 , methane dry reforming 20 and trans-esterification reactions 21,22 .…”

FMSP-Nanoparticles Induced Cell Death on Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Cell Line (MCF-7 Cells): Morphometric Analysis

“…Recently, several attempts have been made to study the effect of different classes of nanoparticles on cancer cells [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. (Interestingly, fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles have been used in a wide range of applications in biological systems such as diagnostic, bioimaging, and drug delivery [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ] and also in the detection of foodborne pathogens [ 46 ]), but there is no report of use of fluorescent magnetic submicronic polymer nanoparticles (FMSP-nanoparticles) in the treatment of human breast cancer cells. In the present study, we tested the effect of FMSP-nanoparticles on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.…”