Review assesses strategies using lanthanide nanocrystals for super-resolution imaging, indicating potential advancements in microscopy technology.
Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy overcomes the diffraction limit to reveal subcellular structures beyond the reach of conventional optical methods, driving strong interest in fluorescent nanomaterials engineered for STED compatibility. Among emerging candidates, lanthanide‐based upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) offer a compelling combination of properties: exceptional photostability, large anti‐Stokes shifts, narrow multicolor emission bands, and long‐lived excited states. This review presents the core principles of STED microscopy and critically examines UCNP‐based strategies for STED‐like super‐resolution imaging. We assess the practical advantages and inherent limitations across different lanthanide ion systems, and outline key open questions for future investigation. By clarifying lanthanide optical dynamics and bridging photonics with materials science, this review aims to accelerate the development of next‐generation super‐resolution imaging technologies.
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Chen et al. (2026) studied this question.
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