X-ray-activated, UVA persistent luminescent materials based on Bi-doped SrLaAlO4 for deep-Seated photodynamic activation

The development of functionalized persistent-luminescent (PersL) materials is currently receiving intense interest for diverse applications. However, PersL materials emitting ultraviolet light in the 315–400 nm (UVA) range are lacking. Herein, a series of x-ray-activated PersL materials based on ABCO4-type structures with random cation arrangements are developed. Comprehensive experiments confirm that materials featuring random cation arrangements are sufficiently general to act as host materials for PersL. Experimental results indicate that as-synthesized SrLaXO4:Bi3+ (X = Al, Ga, In) powders have tunable PersL bands covering the UV-to-visible range after x-ray irradiation. Taking advantage of the depth-independent nature of x-ray illumination in tissues, UVA Persl composites using the matched photosensitizer g-C3N4 (SrLaAlO4:Bi@g-C3N4) are well suited for x-ray-activated photodynamic therapy, as proven by tests for singlet-oxygen (1O2) generation. Therefore, we suggest that the proposed concept be applied to discover additional functionalized PersL materials for clinical cancer therapy in the future.