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Luminescent Eu-doped GdVO4 nanocrystals as optical markers for anti-counterfeiting purposes

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Abstract

Luminescent Eu:GdVO4 nanoparticles, with an average size of 60 nm, were deposited first on monocrystalline silicon wafers, then on four different natural stone materials, by a spray-coating technique and a silica layer was subsequently deposited by atmospheric pressure plasma jet to protect the luminescent layer and improve its adhesion to the substrate. The luminescent films were characterized by photoluminescence excitation and emission, while the surface morphology was examined by FEG-SEM microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry to determine the coating thickness. The optical appearance of the coatings was also evaluated by colorimetric measurements and the efficacy of the fixing action of the silica layer was estimated by PL measurements performed before and after a Scotch™ tape peeling test. The proposed methodology, easily applied on the surface of stone supports, has led to the realization of a luminescent film displaying good mechanical properties, transparent and undetectable in the presence of visible light, but easily activated by UV light source, indicating that the Eu:GdVO4 nanophosphors could be used as luminescent nanotags for a reliable anti-counterfeiting technology.

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Acknowledgements

Ca' Foscari University of Venice and Consortium INSTM are acknowledged for financial support. Dr. Alessandro Patelli, coordinator of the PANNA European Project (Grant Agreement No 282998) is acknowledged for having inspired the identification marker applicability. Dr. Eleonora Balliana is gratefully acknowledged for providing stone material samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, INSTM Venice Research Unit, Via Torino 155/B, 30172, Mestre Venice, Italy

    Elisa Moretti, Giorgia Pizzol, Francesco Enrichi & Stefano Polizzi

  2. Nanofab-Veneto Nanotech, Via delle Industrie 5, 30175, Marghera (Venice), Italy

    Marina Fantin, Francesco Enrichi & Paolo Scopece

  3. Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Piazza del Viminale 1, 00184, Rome, Italy

    Francesco Enrichi

  4. Division of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden

    Francesco Enrichi

  5. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, CSIC, Americo Vespucio 49, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092, Sevilla, Spain

    Manuel Ocaña

  6. Centro di Microscopia Elettronica “Giovanni Stevanato”, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155/B, 30172, Mestre Venice, Italy

    Stefano Polizzi

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  1. Elisa Moretti
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  2. Giorgia Pizzol
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  3. Marina Fantin
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  4. Francesco Enrichi
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  6. Manuel Ocaña
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  7. Stefano Polizzi
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Correspondence to Elisa Moretti.

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Moretti, E., Pizzol, G., Fantin, M. et al. Luminescent Eu-doped GdVO4 nanocrystals as optical markers for anti-counterfeiting purposes. Chem. Pap. 71, 149–159 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-016-0081-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-016-0081-8

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