Sharp-peaked lanthanide nanocrystals for near-infrared photoacoustic multiplexed differential imaging

Sharp-peaked lanthanide nanocrystals for near-infrared photoacoustic multiplexed differential imaging

Communications Materials

10.1038/s43246-024-00605-1

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-024-00605-1

Kang Yong Loh, Lei S. Li, Jingyue Fan, Yi Yiing Goh, Weng Heng Liew, Samuel Davis, Yide Zhang, Kai Li, Jie Liu, Liangliang Liang, Minjun Feng, Ming Yang, Hang Zhang, Ping’an Ma, Guangxue Feng, Zhao Mu, Weibo Gao, Tze Chien Sum, Bin Liu, Jun Lin, Kui Yao, Lihong V. Wang, Xiaogang Liu

near-infrared photoacoustic

21 August 2024

Loh, K. Y., Li, L. S., Fan, J., Goh, Y. Y., Liew, W. H., Davis, S., Zhang, Y., Li, K., Liu, J., Liang, L., Feng, M., Yang, M., Zhang, H., Ma, P., Feng, G., Mu, Z., Gao, W., Sum, T. C., Liu, B., … Liu, X. (2024). Sharp-peaked lanthanide nanocrystals for near-infrared photoacoustic multiplexed differential imaging. Communications Materials, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-024-00605-1

AbstractPhotoacoustic tomography offers a powerful tool to visualize biologically relevant molecules and understand processes within living systems at high resolution in deep tissue, facilitated by the conversion of incident photons into low-scattering acoustic waves through non-radiative relaxation. Although current endogenous and exogenous photoacoustic contrast agents effectively enable molecular imaging within deep tissues, their broad absorption spectra in the visible to near-infrared (NIR) range limit photoacoustic multiplexed imaging. Here, we exploit the distinct ultrasharp NIR absorption peaks of lanthanides to engineer a series of NIR photoacoustic nanocrystals. This engineering involves precise host and dopant material composition, yielding nanocrystals with sharply peaked photoacoustic absorption spectra (~3.2 nm width) and a ~10-fold enhancement in NIR optical absorption for efficient deep tissue imaging. By combining photoacoustic tomography with these engineered nanocrystals, we demonstrate photoacoustic multiplexed differential imaging with substantially decreased background signals and enhanced precision and contrast.

Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

This research / project is supported by the A*STAR, Singapore - Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) Programmatic Fund
Grant Reference no. : A20G9b0135

This research / project is supported by the National Research Foundation - Investigatorship Programme
Grant Reference no. : NRF-NRFI05-2019-0003

This research / project is supported by the National Research Foundation - Competitive Research Program
Grant Reference no. : NRFCRP23- 2019-0002

This research / project is supported by the A*STAR - Manufacturing, Trade and Connectivity Programmatic Fund
Grant Reference no. : M21J9b0085

https://oar.a-star.edu.sg/communities-collections/articles/22777

2662-4443

Institute of Materials Research and Engineering