Low Energy Bioimaging through Molecular Up-Conversion Emission with Imidazolium- and Benzenetriol-Based Er(III) Complexes

Key Points

• To investigate the up-conversion emission properties of new Er(III) complexes featuring imidazolium and benzenetriol ligands.
• Synthesis of water-soluble imidazolium- and benzenetriol-based ligands.
• Isolation of sandwich-type complexes with lanthanides Er(III), Gd(III), and Lu(III).
• Excitation of complexes at 980 nm to observe up-conversion emission in both solid and aqueous states.
• Localization studies of complexes in HeLa cells, focusing on mitochondrial targeting.
• Er(III) complexes showed metal-centered up-conversion emission upon 980 nm excitation.
• Up-conversion emission was observed both in solid state and in aqueous solution.
• Complexes localized primarily in the mitochondria of HeLa cells, displaying red and green emissions.

Abstract