Coated up-conversion nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9333271-B2
Application number	US-201313902298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2013
Priority date	May 30, 2012
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

The invention provides novel biocompatible upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) that comprises a core of cubic nanocrystals (e.g., comprising α-Na Ln a , Ln b Ln c F 4 ) and an epitaxial shell (e.g., formed from CaF 2 ; wherein Ln b is Yb), and related methods of preparation and uses thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A biocompatible upconversion cubic nanoparticle comprising:
a core of cubic nanocrystals comprising α-Na Ln (a) Ln (b) Ln (c) ; and
an epitaxial shell formed from CaF 2 ,

wherein Ln (b) is Yb, the molar ratio of Ln (b) /(Ln (a) +Ln (b) +Ln (c) ) in the nanoparticle is greater than 50%, and the molar ratio of Ln (c) /(Ln (a) +Ln (b) +Ln (c) ) in the nanoparticle is a about 0.5±0.02%.

2. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of Ln (b) /(Ln (a) +Ln (b) +Ln (c) ) in the nanoparticle is greater than 70%.

3. The nanoparticle of claim 2 , wherein the molar ratio of Ln (b) /(Ln (a) +Ln (b) +Ln (c) ) is about 99.5%.

4. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein Ln (a) is yttrium (Y).

5. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein Ln (c) is thulium (Tm).

6. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein each side of the cubic nanoparticle has an average length of about 27±2 nm.

7. The nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises greater than 98% of cubic nanocrystals.

8. A biocompatible upconversion nanoparticle comprising:
a core of cubic nanocrystals comprising α-Na (Y, Yb, Tm)F 4 ; and
an epitaxial shell formed from CaF 2 ,

wherein the molar ratio of Tm/(Y+Yb+Tm) is a about 0.5±0.02%, and the molar ratio of Yb/(Y+Yb+Tm) is greater than 50%.

9. The nanoparticle of claim 8 , wherein the molar ratio of Yb/(Y+Yb+Tm) is greater than about 70%.

10. The nanoparticle of claim 8 , wherein each side of the cubic nanoparticle has an average length of about 27±2 nm.

11. The nanoparticle of claim 8 , the nanoparticle further comprises an outer layer of an organic acid which covers the epitaxial shell.

12. A biocompatible upconversion nanoparticle comprising:
a core of cubic nanocrystals comprising α-Na (Y, Yb, Tm)F 4 ;
an epitaxial shell formed from CaF 2 ; and
an outer layer of an organic acid which covers the epitaxial shell,

wherein the molar ratio of Tm/(Y+Yb+Tm) is a about 0.5±0.02%, and the molar ratio of Yb/(Y+Yb+Tm) is greater than 50%.

13. The nanoparticle of claim 12 , wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, hyaluronic acid and polyacrylic acid.

14. The nanoparticle of claim 12 , wherein the organic acid is conjugated to polyethylenimine.

15. The nanoparticle of claim 14 , wherein the amine is conjugated to an antibody.

16. The nanoparticle of claim 12 , wherein the amine can be conjugated to amine reactive functional groups selected from N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (NHS) or aldehyde derivatives.

17. The nanoparticle of claim 12 , wherein the NHS coupled fluorescent moiety is selected from the group consisting of NHS-flourescein, NHS-caged fluorescein and NHS-Rodamine, NHS-Cy3.5, NHS-Cy 5.5.

Assignees

• Univ Massachusetts Medical
• Univ Massachusetts

Inventors

• Han Gang
• Shen Jie

Classifications

• C01F17/36

  halogen being the only anion, e.g. NaYF4 · CPC title

• C01P2002/84

  by UV- or VIS- data · CPC title

• C01P2004/02

  obtained by optical microscopy · CPC title

• C01P2002/72

  by d-values or two theta-values, e.g. as X-ray diagram · CPC title

• C09K11/025

  non-luminescent particle coatings or suspension media · CPC title