Enhancing Dye-Triplet-Sensitized Upconversion Emission Through the Heavy-Atom Effect in CsLu2F7:Yb/Er Nanoprobes

Lanthanide (Ln(3+))-doped upconversion (UC) nanoprobes, which have drawn extensive attention for various bioapplications, usually suffer from small absorption cross-sections and weak luminescence intensity of Ln(3+) ions. Herein, we report the controlled synthesis of a new class of Ln(3+)-doped UC nanoprobes based on CsLu2F7:Yb/Er nanocrystals (NCs), which can effectively increase the intersystem crossing (ISC) efficiency from singlet excited state to triplet excited state of IR808 up to 99.3 % through the heavy atom effect. By virtue of the efficient triplet sensitization of IR808, the optimal UC luminescence (UCL) intensity of IR808-modified CsLu2F7:Yb/Er NCs is enhanced by 1309 times upon excitation at 808 nm. Benefiting from the intense dye-triplet-sensitized UCL, the nanoprobes are demonstrated for sensitive assay of extracellular and intracellular hypochlorite with an 808-nm/980-nm dual excited ratiometric strategy.