Luminescent Europium Complex-Grafted Octenyl Succinylated Starch Nanoparticles

Novel luminescent starch nanoparticles are obtained by first grafting the Eu(TTA)₃Phen-NH₂ complex (Eu, europium; TTA, 2-thenoyltrifluoracetonato; Phen, 1,10-phenanthroline) onto octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA)-modified corn starch and then using a nanoprecipitation method. The changes in the Fourier transform infrared spectra show that the Eu complex is grafted onto the OSA-starch via amide bond formation. Transmission electron microscopy images show nanoparticles of irregular shape, with sizes in the range 35–270 nm. Eu complex-grafted OSA-starch nanoparticles (EuC-OSA-St-NPs) exhibit red luminescence emission with long luminescence lifetimes. Their good biocompatibility supports their use for biomedical applications.