Development of nanoscintillators of NaREF4:Ln3+ for correlative bioimaging and photodynamic therapy

• Grant number: 25/01740-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Hermi Felinto de Brito
• Grantee: Paulo Vinicius Brancacio de Simone
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/08111-2 - Development of rare earth based light converters: luminescent markers, optical sensors, and amplifiers, AP.TEM

Abstract

Nanoscintillators have recently been extensively studied for various applications, such as X-ray detection, correlative bioimaging, X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy, information encoding, among others. The possibility of converting X-rays into radiation in the UV-Vis-IR region is the property that makes scintillators interesting materials, and synthesizing them in the form of nanomaterials opens up a new range of possibilities never explored before. The incorporation of trivalent lanthanide ions (Ln3+) into scintillator host matrices creates the possibility of tuning the emission wavelength of these materials, taking advantage of the monochromatic character transitions of these ions. Thus, in this work NaTRF¬4 nanoscintillators doped with trivalent lanthanide ions (Ln3+) will be synthesized for correlative bioimaging and X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy. Several synthesis methods (sol-gel, hydrothermal and coprecipitation) will be tested in order to control the size and morphology of the particles. Several compositions for this matrix will be tested in order to find the most efficient nanoscintillators. The crystalline structure of the nanomaterials will be investigated through X-ray diffraction, their luminescent properties will be investigated through studies of photoluminescence in the UV-Vis region, optical luminescence excited by X-rays, persistent luminescence excited by X-rays and cathodoluminescence, with electron excitation. The size and morphology of the nanomaterials will also be studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy studies.