ABSTRACT
Fluorescence bioimaging based on rare-earth-doped nanocrystals (RENCs) in the shortwave infrared (SWIR, 1000-3000 nm) region has aroused intense interest due to deeper penetration depth and clarity. However, their downshifting emission rarely shows sufficient brightness beyond 1600 nm, especially in NIR-IIc. Here, we present a class of thulium (Tm) self-sensitized RENC fluorescence probes that exhibit bright downshifting luminescence at 1600-2100 nm (NIR-IIb/c) for in vivo bioimaging. An inert shell coating minimizes surface quenching and combines strong cross-relaxation, allowing LiTmF4@LiYF4 NPs to emit these intense downshifting emissions by absorbing NIR photons at 800 nm (large Stokes shift ~1000 nm with a absolute quantum yield of ~14.16%) or 1208 nm (NIR-IIin and NIR-IIout). Furthermore, doping with Er3+ for energy trapping achieves four-wavelength NIR irradiation and bright NIR-IIb/c emission. Our results show that Tm-based NPs, as NIR-IIb/c nanoprobes with high signal-to-background ratio and clarity, open new opportunities for future applications and translation into diverse fields.