“…29 In recent experiments the PEG-capped nanoparticle cellular uptake was investigated and in numerous experiments a higher uptake on PEG coated nanoparticles was demonstrated due to the higher affinity of tumor cells for this coating material. 30,31 For these reasons, we found it interesting to investigate the possibility of preparing PEG-capped, water dispersible GdF 3 based NPs, as bimodal probes for both optical and MRI contrast agents. In this work, we study the luminescence and contrast agent properties of PEG-capped Tm 3+ /Yb 3+ or Er 3+ /Yb 3+ GdF 3 NPs, prepared by a facile, environmentally friendly, one-pot hydrothermal synthesis, using water as a solvent.…”