Publication details

Photon-Upconversion Nanoparticles Give a New Twist to Classic Analytical Tools

Authors

GORRIS Hans-Heiner MICKERT Matthias Jürgen FARKA Zdeněk HLAVÁČEK Antonín

Year of publication 2017
Type Conference abstract
MU Faculty or unit

Central European Institute of Technology

Citation
Description Conventional fluorescence spectroscopy is limited by autofluorescence and light scattering of the surrounding matrix. This optical background interference can be elegantly avoided by using photon-upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) that emit short-wavelength light under near-infrared (NIR, 980 nm) excitation (anti-Stokes emission). I will describe new nano-analytical techniques taking full advantage of UCNPs. Agarose gel electrophoresis enables the separation and purification of UCNPs that can then be detected in the gel by a 980-nm laser scanner. The purifiation of UCNPs bioconjugates has the potential to improve many bioanalytical applications. Such well-defined UCNPs can be used to replace conventional enzyme-mediated amplification systems in microtiter plate immunoassays. For example, an upconversion-linked immunoassay (ULISA) allowed for the sensitive detection of the pharmaceutical diclofenac in environmental water samples. UCNPs can be detected at the single nanoparticle level using a relatively simple wide-field upconversion microscope. In this way, it is possible to implement a single molecule sandwich immunoassay for the detection of diagnostic markers such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
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