Water-insensitive NIR-Ⅰ-to-NIR-Ⅰ down-shifting nanoparticles enable stable biomarker detection at low power thresholds in opaque aqueous environments

Dongkyu Kang; Suyeon Kim; Yeongchang Goh; Minseo Kim; Sun-Hak Lee; Jung-Hoon Kwon; Sang Hwan Nam; Joonseok Lee

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-01882-2

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Water-insensitive NIR-Ⅰ-to-NIR-Ⅰ down-shifting nanoparticles enable stable biomarker detection at low power thresholds in opaque aqueous environments

Original Articles

- Water-insensitive NIR-Ⅰ-to-NIR-Ⅰ down-shifting nanoparticles enable stable biomarker detection at low power thresholds in opaque aqueous environments
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 14, Issue 9, Pages: 2463-2475(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
  2.Laboratory of Nanoscopic Imaging & Spectroscopy Analysis, Chemical Analysis Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
  3.Avian Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea
  4.Laboratory of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
  5.Research Institute for Convergence of Basic Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
- Author bio：
  
  Sang Hwan Nam (shnam@krict.re.kr)
  Joonseok Lee (joonseoklee@hanyang.ac.kr)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-01882-2
  CLC：
- Received：20 December 2024，
  
  Revised：2025-04-20，
  
  Accepted：01 May 2025，
  
  Published Online：03 July 2025，
  
  Published：30 September 2025
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Kang, D. et al. Water-insensitive NIR-Ⅰ-to-NIR-Ⅰ down-shifting nanoparticles enable stable biomarker detection at low power thresholds in opaque aqueous environments. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 2463-2475 (2025).
DOI：

Kang, D. et al. Water-insensitive NIR-Ⅰ-to-NIR-Ⅰ down-shifting nanoparticles enable stable biomarker detection at low power thresholds in opaque aqueous environments. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 2463-2475 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01882-2.

摘要

Abstract

Luminescence quenching in aqueous environments poses a challenge for practical applications. Lanthanide-doped up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)

representative of near-infrared (NIR)-emitting phosphors

typically utilize Yb

ions as sensitizers

requiring 980 nm light. This wavelength coincides with the transitions of water molecules

interfering with population dynamics

and continuous irradiation causes unintended heating. Although Nd

ions

which absorb at 800 nm

serve as alternative sensitizers

their practical use is limited by low quantum yield (Q.Y.). In this study

we developed water-insensitive down-shifting nanoparticles (WINPs) functioning within the NIR-Ⅰ range (700–900 nm) to avoid water interference. Characterization through single-particle-level spectroscopy demonstrated water-insensitive properties

with identical powers density and lifetime profiles under both dry and water conditions. The WINPs achieved a high Q.Y. of 22.1 ± 0.9%

allowing operation at a detection limit power 15-fold lower than UCNPs

effectively eliminating background noise and enhancing overall performance. To assess diagnostic potential

we validated WINP-based lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) for detecting avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in 65 opaque clinical samples

achieving 100% sensitivity and an area under the curve (AUC) of 1.000 at only 100 mW cm

−2

. These findings highlight the potential of WINPs as water-insensitive NIR phosphors that can operate at low power

even in water-rich environments.

关键词

Keywords

references

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