Correction: Self-monitored photothermal nanoparticles based on core-shell engineering.

Correction for 'Self-monitored photothermal nanoparticles based on core-shell engineering' by Erving C. Ximendes et al., Nanoscale, 2016, 8, 3057-3066.

Self-monitored photothermal nanoparticles based on core-shell engineering.

The continuous development of nanotechnology has resulted in the actual possibility of the design and synthesis of nanostructured materials with pre-tailored functionabilities. Nanostructures capable of simultaneous heating and local thermal sensing are in strong demand as they would constitute a revolutionary solution to several challenging problems in bio-medicine, including the achievement of real time control during photothermal therapies. Several approaches have been demonstrated to achieve simultaneous heating and thermal sensing at the nanoscale. Some of them lack of sufficient thermal sensitivity and others require complicated synthesis procedures for heterostructure fabrication. In this study, we demonstrate how single core/shell dielectric nanoparticles with a highly Nd(3+) ion doped shell and an Yb(3+),Er(3+) codoped core are capable of simultaneous thermal sensing and heating under an 808 nm single beam excitation. The spatial separation between the heating shell and sensing core provides remarkable values of the heating efficiency and thermal sensitivity, enabling their application in single beam-controlled heating experiments in both aqueous and tissue environments.

Neodymium-doped LaF(3) nanoparticles for fluorescence bioimaging in the second biological window.

The future perspective of fluorescence imaging for real in vivo application are based on novel efficient nanoparticles which is able to emit in the second biological window (1000-1400 nm). In this work, the potential application of Nd(3+) -doped LaF(3) (Nd(3+) :LaF(3) ) nanoparticles is reported for fluorescence bioimaging in both the first and second biological windows based on their three main emission channels of Nd(3+) ions: (4) F(3/2) →(4) I(9/2) , (4) F(3/2) →(4) I(11/2) and (4) F(3/2) →(4) I(13/2) that lead to emissions at around 910, 1050, and 1330 nm, respectively. By systematically comparing the relative emission intensities, penetration depths and subtissue optical dispersion of each transition we propose that optimum subtissue images based on Nd(3+) :LaF(3) nanoparticles are obtained by using the (4) F3/2 →(4) I11/2 (1050 nm) emission band (lying in the second biological window) instead of the traditionally used (4) F(3/2) →(4) I(9/2) (910 nm, in the first biological window). After determining the optimum emission channel, it is used to obtain both in vitro and in vivo images by the controlled incorporation of Nd(3+) :LaF(3) nanoparticles in cancer cells and mice. Nd(3+) :LaF(3)nanoparticles thus emerge as very promising fluorescent nanoprobes for bioimaging in the second biological window.

Two photon thermal sensing in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped nanocrystalline NaNbO3.

We investigate the potential use of two-photon absorption of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped NaNbO3 nanocrystals for nanothermometry as well as thermal imaging, based on the thermally coupled green Er3+ emission lines. In fact, thermal sensor in the range of 20-80 degrees C with -0.1 degrees C accuracy using excitation powers readily obtained from commercially available semiconductor laser was achieved. The pump-intensity induced local heating was also investigated upon femtosecond laser excitation and 0.55 K/kW x cm(-2) was achieved. The highly efficient green emission together with two-photon dependence and femtosecond laser excitation should increase the brightness of thermal imaging. Additionally, the high temperature-sensitive fluorescence, when compared to previous literatures, should increase the resolution of nanothermometers.