Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images were obtained in a JEOL
JEM-2100F electron microscope, at an acceleration voltage of 120 kV. Samples for TEM analysis were prepared by adding a single drop (2 µL) of the aqueous solution (ca. 0.1 mg/mL in milliQ water) of particles onto a copper grid coated with a
carbon film (Electron Microscopy Sciences). Further details on the preparation of grids can be found in the SI, Section A4.
UV-Vis spectra were measured in an Agilent
8453 UV-Vis diode-array spectrophotometer. Zeta potential measurements were performed in a Malvern
Zetasizer 3000 HS particle size analyzer (Malvern Instruments, UK). Fluorescence measurements were carried out with a PerkinElmer
LS55 Fluorescence Spectrometer. ICP-MS measurements were performed on a
Thermo iCAP Q ICP-MS (Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Bremen, Germany). A ASX560 autosampler was coupled to the ICP-MS (CETAC Tech, Omaha, NE, USA). In order to digest the different materials for ICP experiments, 100 µL of CaF
2 particles aqueous solution was digested overnight in 10 mL HNO
3 (65%, Scharlau) at 70
oC. Full beads were digested overnight in aqua regia. Spheroids were digested in aqua regia as well, but they required sonication before and after a 24h digestion time.
Quintanilla M., García I., de Lázaro I., García-Alvarez R., Henriksen-Lacey M., Vranic S., Kostarelos K, & Liz-Marzán L.M. (2019). Thermal monitoring during photothermia: hybrid probes for simultaneous plasmonic heating and near-infrared optical nanothermometry. Theranostics, 9(24), 7298-7312.