Near Infrared Nanomaterials

In the last decade, bioimaging and therapy based on near-infrared (NIR) nanomaterials have played an important role in biotechnology due to their intrinsic advantages when compared with the traditional imaging probe and medicine. NIR nanomaterials allow deeper penetration depth, low detection threshold concentration and better targeted performance. This book systematically summarises the recent progress in the fabrication and application of NIR nanomaterials for biomedical imaging and therapy, and discusses the advantages, challenges and opportunities available. Near-infrared Nanomaterials contains a chapter highlighting the outlook of these materials, detailing novel ideas for the further application of NIR nanomaterials in bioimaging and medicine. Written by leading experts working in the field, this title will have broad appeal to those working in chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology, biology and bioengineering, biomedical science and biophysics.

​This book analyzes and evaluates the growing field of light-emitting nanoprobes as contrast agents for in vivo imaging and sensing. It is a comprehensive resource that critically analyzes the state of the art in an interdisciplinary manner, with a special focus on the shift of emission wavelengths into the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region (ranging from 0.7 to 2 microns), which has greatly contributed to the latest advances in biomedical imaging and sensing. This book discusses merits of different contrast agents at nanoscale, and how their unique chemical and structural properties lead to the emission and interaction of light within the NIR window. Both the NIR-emitting materials and various surface modification strategies governing their interactions with the biological system at the “nano” level are discussed. Furthermore, different experimental techniques and protocols for NIR-light-based in vivo imaging and sensing are addressed to shed light on further understanding of the advantages and limitations of each category of these nanoprobes. Assembles the state of the art heretofore appearing in scientific literature into a comprehensive, multi-perspective guidebook on near infrared-emitting nanomaterials in an assortment of biomedical applications; Explains the physical, chemical, and biological phenomena underlying near infrared-emitting nanomaterials for biomedical applications; Presents conceptual and experimental approaches surrounding a unique spectral range of light emission from nanosized contrast agents, while offering a clear explanation of basic and general phenomena regarding the interaction between light and biological tissues, such as absorption, scattering and autofluorescence.

This book covers the photothermal effect of different categories of light-absorbing nanomaterials.

This book introduces the latest advances made in both fundamental studies and potential applications of upconversion nanomaterials, particularly in the field of high-resolution in vitro bioanalysis and in vivo imaging. This book starts with the synthesis and characterization, and focuses on applications ranging from materials science to biology. Above all, it describes cutting-edge advances in upconversion nanophosphor (UCNP)-based applications in multiplexed encoding, guest delivery and release systems, photodynamic therapy (PDT), solar cells, photocatalysis and so on. The major barriers that currently prevent UCNPs from being used in mainstream applications are also presented in detail.

This book explores upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) at both, the fundamental as well as applied levels, for functional applications. It provides a broad perspective about the synthesis approaches of UCNPs with the preferred size, improved and tunable upconversion luminescence, along with the combined multifunctionality for various applications. It highlights the fundamentals and systematic developments in the tuning of UC emission and surface engineering of UCNPs that make UCNPs convenient for use in a large range of applications. Moreover, it gives an understanding of the imposed limitations and challenges associated with these methods to achieve the desired performance in targeted applications. It also includes the latest multifunctional lanthanide-based UCNPs, which efficiently convert low-energy photons into high-energy photons, and their applications in fluorescent microscopy, deep-tissue bioimaging, nanomedicine, optogenetics, solid-state lighting, solar cells, security labeling, and volumetric display.