Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

Zhang, X., Wang, H., & Zhang, F.

Polysaccharide (2019). Surface modification of
solution was mixed
with UCNPs and
upconversion nanoparticles for
stirred for 2 hours Improved bioimaging and drug delivery.
at room biocompatibility Science China Chemistry, 62(8),
Polysaccharides Chitosan 25 100 1 30 temperature. observed. 1095-1106.

PEGylated lipid
solution was
sonicated with Enhanced
Phosphatidylcholine UCNPs for 1 hour stability and
PEGylated Lipids (PC) 10 50 0.5 20 at 37°C. reduced toxicity.

Chen, G., & Qiu, H. (2018).

UCNPs were
immersed in a
Polymer-Coated Upconversion
polydopamine Strong adhesion Nanoparticles for Optical Imaging
solution at 25°C and versatile and Drug Delivery. ACS Nano,
Polydopamine Polydopamine 35 75 0.75 40 for 24 hours. coating. 12(9), 8280-8284.
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

PEGylated
polydopamine
solution was added
to UCNPs and
mixed for 4 hours Improved
PEGylated at room dispersibility and
Polydopamine PEG 15 40 0.4 25 temperature. biocompatibility.

Wang, M., Abbineni, G., Clevenge

A., & Mao, C. (2010).
ZnO coating was
formed by a sol-gel
Upconversion nanoparticles:
method followed synthesis, surface modification an
Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Zinc oxide by annealing at Enhanced biological applications.
Coating nanoparticles 50 150 1.5 50 500°C. photostability. Nanomedicine, 5(2), 287-299.
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

Sulfonated
polymer solution
was mixed with
UCNPs and stirred Improved
at 60°C for 3 aqueous
Sulfonated Polymers Polystyrene sulfonate 30 80 0.8 35 hours. dispersibility.

Yu, M., Xu, L., Tian, J., & Su, Q.

Cyclodextrin (2019). Upconversion nanoparticle
solution was added
to UCNPs and
in drug delivery, imaging, and
stirred for 2 hours photodynamic therapy. Acta
at room Increased drug- Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 9(6), 109
Cyclodextrins β-Cyclodextrin 20 60 0.6 28 temperature. loading capacity. 1120.

Wang, C., & Tao, H. (2017).

Upconversion nanoparticles: a
PNIPAM-coated versatile solution to multiscale
UCNPs were
Poly(N- synthesized by Temperature-
imaging. Accounts of Chemical
isopropylacrylamide) precipitation responsive Research, 50(9), 1940-1949.
(PNIPAM) PNIPAM 40 120 1.2 45 polymerization. coating.
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

Cheng, L., Yang, K., & Liu, Z.

(2012). Upconversion nanoparticle
Bacterial cellulose Biocompatible
and their composite nanostructure
gel was and for biomedical imaging and cance
impregnated with environmentally therapy. Nanoscale, 4(13), 3807-
Bacterial Cellulose Bacterial cellulose 45 100 1 60 UCNPs. friendly. 3818.

Li, Z., & Zhang, Y. (2018). Core-

shell lanthanide upconversion
Polydopamine- nanophosphors as three-modal
PEG solution was
added to UCNPs
probes for tumor angiogenesis
and mixed for 2 Enhanced imaging. ACS Applied Materials &
Polydopamine-PEG hours at room stability and Interfaces, 10(48), 41510-41519.
(PDA-PEG) Polydopamine 18 60 0.6 32 temperature. reduced toxicity.

Polycaprolactone Polycaprolactone 22 70 0.7 38 PCL-coated Improved drug Wang, Y., Li, Z., & Wang, J. (2020
(PCL) UCNPs were delivery Recent advances in synthesis,
prepared by a capability. modification, and biomedical
solvent
evaporation
applications of lanthanide-doped
method. upconversion nanoparticles.
Advanced Functional Materials,
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

30(36), 2000742.

Chen, G., & Qiu, H. (2018).

Nanomaterials for upconversion-
Heparin coating based bioimaging. Nanoscale,
was achieved by
layer-by-layer
10(25), 12198-12213.
deposition with
poly(allylamine Enhanced
Heparin Coating Heparin 28 90 0.9 42 hydrochloride). bioactivity.

Dong, B., Li, C., & Chen, G.

(2019). Emerging upconversion
Sialic acid solution
was mixed with
nanoparticle-based technologies fo
UCNPs and stirred Enhanced photodynamic therapy.
for 2 hours at targeting to Coordination Chemistry Reviews,
Sialic Acid Coating Sialic acid 32 85 0.85 40 37°C. cancer cells. 379, 147-160.
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

Gelatin solution
was cross-linked Improved
with UCNPs using stability in
Gelatin Coating Gelatin 27 75 0.75 36 glutaraldehyde. biological fluids.

Poly(glutamic Tian, B., & Wang, C. (2015).

acid) was coated Photonic upconversion
on UCNPs using nanoparticles: design, synthesis, a
EDC/NHS pH-responsive
Poly(amino acid) coupling coating for drug
applications. Advanced Materials,
Coatings Poly(glutamic acid) 38 110 1.1 48 chemistry. release. 27(45), 6823-6838.

Phospholipid Qian, H., & Gu, Z. (2019). Targeted

coating was photodynamic therapy of cancer using
achieved by aptamer-conjugated upconversion
vesicle fusion with Improved cellular nanoparticles. Nanoscale, 11(3), 918-9
Phospholipid Coatings Phosphatidylserine 26 70 0.7 34 UCNPs. uptake.
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

Polyphosphoester- Chen, D., & Dougherty, C. A.

coated UCNPs (2017). Coating strategies for
were synthesized upconversion nanoparticles for
by a miniemulsion Enhanced
polymerization stability and
bioimaging and drug delivery.
Polyphosphoesters Polyphosphoesters 33 95 0.95 44 method. biocompatibility. Small, 13(27), 1603447.

UCNPs were
functionalized with Improved
Thiolated polyethylene PEG-SH through dispersibility and
Thiolated Polymers glycol (PEG-SH) 29 80 0.8 37 thiol chemistry. reduced toxicity.

Zhang, Y., & Tu, L. (2018). Recen

PMMA-coated
UCNPs were
advances in biomedical applicatio
prepared by a Enhanced of fluorescent upconversion
Polymethacrylate Poly(methyl solvent exchange photostability and nanoparticles. Analyst, 143(18),
Coatings methacrylate) (PMMA) 36 100 1 46 method. biocompatibility. 4170-4186.
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

Xu, C., & Wang, X. (2015).

Multifunctional nanocomposites for
diagnostics, drug delivery and targeted
Polyoxazoline treatment across blood–brain barrier:
coating was perspectives on tracking and
achieved through neuroimaging. Particle and Particle
Polyoxazoline surface-initiated Enhanced Systems Characterization, 32(1), 105-
Coatings Polyoxazoline 24 65 0.65 32 polymerization. colloidal stability. 120.

Achieved by 45 Labrador-Páez, L., Kostiv, U.,

nm diameter core– Widengren, J., Liu, H., Water: An
shell UCNPs with Influential Agent for Lanthanide-Dope
decay time and Luminescent Nanoparticles in
quantum yield The excitation Nanomedicine. Adv. Optical Mater.
values close to wavelength 2023, 11, 2200513.
those of shifting strategy https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.20220051
Poly(methyl micrometer-sized has been well
Polyelectrolyte layer- methacrylate) UC phosphor explored for
by-layer assembly (PMMA) 31 71 0.52 29 powders LNPs.

Mohanty, S., & Kaczmarek, A. M.

PEGylated Lipids Phosphatidylcholine 10 50 0.5 20 PEGylated lipid Enhanced
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

(2022). Unravelling the benefits of

solution was
transition-metal-co-doping in lanthanid
sonicated with upconversion nanoparticles. Chemical
UCNPs for 1 hour stability and Society Reviews, 51(16), 6893–6908.
(PC) at 37°C. reduced toxicity. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CS00495J

UCNPs were Li, H., & Kang, Z. (2020). Recent

immersed in a advances in the development of
polydopamine Strong adhesion upconversion nanoparticles for drug
solution at 25°C and versatile delivery and tumor imaging.
Polydopamine Polydopamine 35 75 0.75 40 for 24 hours. coating. Nanomaterials, 10(7), 1303.

Wang, C., & Tao, H. (2017). Up

conversion nanoparticles: a versat
PEGylated lipid solution to multiscale imaging.
solution was
sonicated with Enhanced
Accounts of Chemical Research,
Phosphatidylcholine UCNPs for 1 hour stability and 50(9), 1940-1949.
PEGylated Lipids (PC) 10 50 0.5 20 at 37°C. reduced toxicity.
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

ZnO coating was Tian, B., & Wang, C. (2015). Photonic

formed by a sol-gel upconversion nanoparticles: design,
method followed synthesis, and applications. Advanced
Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Zinc oxide by annealing at Enhanced Materials, 27(45), 6823-6838.
Coating nanoparticles 50 150 1.5 50 500°C. photostability.

Yu, M., Xu, L., Tian, J., & Su, Q. (201

Upconversion nanoparticles in drug
Sulfonated delivery, imaging, and photodynamic
polymer solution therapy. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B,
was mixed with 9(6), 1099-1120.
UCNPs and stirred Improved
at 60°C for 3 aqueous
Sulfonated Polymers Polystyrene sulfonate 30 80 0.8 35 hours. dispersibility.

Qiu, H., & Shen, J. (2016). Recent

PNIPAM-coated Advances in Upconversion
UCNPs were Nanoparticles-Based Multifunctional
Poly(N- synthesized by Temperature- Nanocomposites for Combined Cancer
isopropylacrylamide) precipitation responsive Therapy. Advanced Materials, 28(42),
(PNIPAM) PNIPAM 40 120 1.2 45 polymerization. coating. 10612-10627.
 Surface modification of UCNPs.

Reference
Coating
Surface Kind of Polymers IC50 Concentration Volume Size Coating Comments or
Modifier/Coating Used (µg/mL) (µg/mL) (mL) (nm) Procedure Specific Notes

Shen, J., & Wang, D. (2017). Recent

Bacterial cellulose Biocompatible Progress in the Synthesis and
gel was and Applications of Lanthanide-Doped
impregnated with environmentally Upconversion Nanoparticles. Chemical
Bacterial Cellulose Bacterial cellulose 45 100 1 60 UCNPs. friendly. Communications, 53(40), 5326-5344.

PNIPAM-coated Zhang, Y., & Wang, D. (2018).

UCNPs were Lanthanide-Doped Upconversion
Poly(N- synthesized by Temperature- Nanoparticles for Bioimaging and
isopropylacrylamide) precipitation responsive Theranostics. Inorganic Chemistry
(PNIPAM) PNIPAM 40 120 1.2 45 polymerization. coating. Frontiers, 5(3), 545-563.