Gd2O3 Doped with Yb3+/Er3+ for Boosted Downshifting Pathway in NIR-IIb Region and Exploring the Dynamics of MRI/NIR-II Imaging in the Nanophosphor

Lanthanide-ion-activated nanoparticles stimulated by 808 or 980 nm lasers present promising applications in biological imaging. This contribution reveals their physicochemical properties and explores their potential as near-infrared-II (NIR-II) fluorescent agents for bioimaging. Specifically, the NIR-IIb window (1500–1700 nm) has the advantages of low scattering and less autofluorescence from the tissues, which makes this region suitable for imaging with greater clarity. Lanthanides offer diverse emission possibilities due to their rich energy levels, which make them highly effective nanoprobes. This study focuses on gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) as the host material due to its facile fabrication and low toxicity. The Gd2O3 system is doped with Yb3+ and Er3+ ions and achieves a high quantum efficiency of 22.8% in the NIR-IIx and NIR-IIb windows. Moreover, the superior penetrability of the NIR-IIb window is unveiled by the penetration depth testing and in vivo imaging studies. Additionally, Gd3+ ions exhibit magnetic properties, which support their application in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This work reveals the high brightness and high energy transfer efficiency of the Yb3+–Er3+ system and explores the feasibility of Gd2O3 nanoparticles in MRI. Therefore, we believe that this work provides a superior and biocompatible candidate for understanding the dynamics of MRI/NIR-II imaging of the nanophosphor for clinical applications.
That dataset provides the raw data of :- RT PL and PLE spectra of Gd2O3:0.025Yb3+, Gd2O3:0.01Er3+ and Gd2O3:0.025Yb3+,0.01Er3+.- PL decay profiles of Yb3+ emission in Gd2O3:0.025Yb3+,yEr3+ (y = 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.015, 0.02).- PL decay profiles of Er3+ emission in Gd2O3:0.025Yb3+,yEr3+ (y = 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.015, 0.02).- Temperature-dependent PL spectra of Gd2O3:0.025Yb3+, Gd2O3:0.01Er3+ , Gd2O3:0.025Yb3+,0.01Er3+.- Temperature-dependent decay profiles of Yb3+ emission in  Gd2O3:0.025Yb3+and  Gd2O3:0.025Yb3+,0.01Er3+. - Temperature-dependent decay profiles of Er3+ emission in  Gd2O3:0.01Er3+ and Gd2O3:0.025Yb3+,0.01Er3+.
Associated publication:Aishwarya Satpathya, Tzu-Hsuan Liua, Ting-Yi Sua, Shiqi Yu, Wei Zhang, Datao Tu, AgataLazarowska , Natalia Majewska, Grzegorz Leniece, Ewa Mijowskae, Xueyuan Chen, Sebastian Mahlik, Ming-Hsien Chang, and Ru-Shi Liu: Gd2O3 doped with Yb3+/Er3+ for Boosted Downshifting Pathway in NIR-IIb Region and Exploring the Dynamics of MRI/NIR-II Imaging in the Nanophosphor, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2025, 17, 60789−60801.
Funding:This work was financially supported by the National Science and Technology Council in Taiwan (Contracts NSTC 114-2113-M-002-001 and NSTC 114-2923-M-002-010). This work was financially supported by the National Science Center,Poland, Grant Opus No. 2019/33/B/ST3/00406 and the National Centre for Research and Development, Poland, Grant No. POLTAJ11/2023/41/IRPA/2024, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.U22A20398)