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Sensitized Photon Avalanche Emission in lanthanide doped colloidal core-shell nanoparticles: novel materials for superresolution imaging (OPUS 22) - SPA

PI : prof Artur Bednarkiewicz

GRANT : NCN OPUS 14 2021/43/B/ST5/01244

Recently, the phenomenon of photon avalanche (PA) was confirmed in nanomaterials at room temperature [1], utilizing tulium-doped nanocrystals emitting light in the NIR range (800 nm) when excited at 1064 nm. This successful demonstration immediately suggests numerous biomedical applications, such as luminescent thermometry, ultra-sensitive biosensors, or modern bioimaging methods. Particularly, the latter application is intriguing as it allows "breaking" the limit of light diffraction, which restricts the optical resolution of optical microscopes. Unlike current super-resolution imaging methods, using photon avalanches with a resolution of about 60-80 nm, very technically simple methods were employed. However, despite this successful demonstration, there are still numerous problems and challenges associated with the application of these materials, including a high threshold for photon avalanche, slow emission build-up (approx. 0.1 s per pixel), a limited number of available emission colors, or the lack of commercial measurement instruments.

In the face of these challenges, the project will focus on two important and novel aspects. Firstly, new avalanche nanomaterials with improved properties will be developed, utilizing core-shell nanomaterials doped with an appropriate combination of lanthanide ions, planning to design and synthesize new avalanche nanomaterials showing increased efficiency, lower emission threshold, faster response, and multicolor emission. Subsequently, the most promising materials will be used for the demonstration of multicolor super-resolution imaging, using a new instrument with increased imaging speed.

Overall, the proposed work in this interdisciplinary project will bring several innovations. Firstly, a comprehensive investigation of the photon avalanche process will be planned from the perspective of photophysical processes. Secondly, new nanomaterials with improved parameters will be synthesized. Finally, the developed nanomaterials will be used for multicolor super-resolution imaging on a newly built microscope. These fundamental research and efforts, driven by the desire to understand basic physical phenomena and curiosity, show great potential for application, as super-resolution techniques today help biologists understand the functioning of living cells at an unprecedented level of detail. The role of these methods and materials is certain to grow in the coming years to assist biologists, biochemists, and biotechnologists in designing new drugs and discovering the sources of various diseases. 

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