Opportunities for Persistent Luminescent Nanoparticles in Luminescence Imaging of Biological Systems and Photodynamic Therapy

Author(s)

Fritzen, Douglas L. ^[1] ; Giordano, Luidgi ^[1] ; Rodrigues, Lucas C. V. ^[1] ; Monteiro, Jorge H. S. K. ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Chem, Dept Fundamental Chem, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Humboldt State Univ, Dept Chem, Arcata, CA 95521 - USA

• Document type: Review article
• Source: NANOMATERIALS; v. 10, n. 10 OCT 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The use of luminescence in biological systems allows us to diagnose diseases and understand cellular processes. Persistent luminescent materials have emerged as an attractive system for application in luminescence imaging of biological systems; the afterglow emission grants background-free luminescence imaging, there is no need for continuous excitation to avoid tissue and cell damage due to the continuous light exposure, and they also circumvent the depth penetration issue caused by excitation in the UV-Vis. This review aims to provide a background in luminescence imaging of biological systems, persistent luminescence, and synthetic methods for obtaining persistent luminescent materials, and discuss selected examples of recent literature on the applications of persistent luminescent materials in luminescence imaging of biological systems and photodynamic therapy. Finally, the challenges and future directions, pointing to the development of compounds capable of executing multiple functions and light in regions where tissues and cells have low absorption, will be discussed. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/26282-6 - Development of devices based on persistent luminescence thin films
• Grantee: Douglas Lourenço Fritzen
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 18/05280-5 - Red-Infrared active photonic materials for energy conversion and storage
• Grantee: Lucas Carvalho Veloso Rodrigues
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants