Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP), with the unique ability to convert low-energy NIR radiation to high energy UV-vis light, represent promising agents.However, the intrinsically low quantum efficiency due to the presence of surface de...
Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP), with the unique ability to convert low-energy NIR radiation to high energy UV-vis light, represent promising agents.However, the intrinsically low quantum efficiency due to the presence of surface defects and small absorption cross-section have restricted their viable applications. The integration of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) has been considered as a promising way to overcome this limitation.In this work, titanium-coated gold nanorods (Au NR@TiO<sub>2</sub>) were decorated with UCNP. This core@shell nanostructures revealed enhanced UCNP-derived UV emission due to the plasmonic properties of Au NR. In presence of UCNP, the emitted UV light was proposed to excite the TiO<sub>2</sub> semiconductor and play a key role in the generation of cytotoxic singlet oxygen or reactive oxygen species. Hybrid nanostructures herein introduced are suggested to be a valuable addition in deep-range noninvasive cancer phototherapy studies.