Bioimaging Using the Optimized Nonlinear Optical Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles

Nonlinear imaging using nanocrystals has advantages over fluorescent dyes. Highly nonlinear optically susceptible ZnO was synthesized for the purpose of bioimaging. ZnO nanoparticles with enhanced second and third order nolinearity have been utilized for nonlinear in vitro imaging of living cells. Highly efficient nonlinear processes in noncentrosymmetric ZnO nanoparticles was used to generate second harmonic signal within nanoparticles at extremely low-input light intensities in order to track and image live cells and thrombocytes infiltrated with ZnO.