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Near infrared ray to ultraviolet up-conversion luminescence of Tm3+–Yb3+ co-doped (CaY)F2 nanocrystals

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Abstract

Near Infrared Ray (NIR)-ultraviolet (UV) up-conversion luminescence (UCL) materials have potential application in many fields of biological science, including cells and tissue labeling for bio-imaging, bio-detection, therapy or multiplexed analysis. Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped (CaY)F2 nanocrystals have been successfully synthetized through the hydrothermal method, and the effect of different synthesis conditions on the morphology and luminescence property of (CaY)F2 phosphors have been discussed. When the molar concentration of Tm3+ and Yb3+ were 0.4 and 20%, respectively, the obtained (CaY)F2 nanocrystals have excellence density, crystallinity, single particle dispersion, uniform particle size (55.5 nm), and high up-conversion luminescence efficiency with the hydrothermal conditions of 180° C and 12 h and calcined temperature of 500° C. Specifically, the synthesized nanocrystals could be stably excited by a 980 nm pump light, converted to 360 nm UV. In addition, the cytotoxicity of (CaY)F2 nanocrystals has also be explored, which shows low cytotoxicity examined by the L929 murine fibroblast cells. With this biocompatibility and excellent up-conversion luminescence properties, the obtained (CaY)F2 nanocrystals have a high potential as biomaterials for photodynamic therapy assisted by TiO2.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Project No. 2016YFB1101103); National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project Nos. 51171058, 31600753); Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province of China (Project Nos. E2013202022,); Outstanding Youth Foundation of Hebei Province of China (Project No. E2015202282); Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (Project No. 16JCYBJC43400); Science and Technology Correspondent Project of Tianjin (Nos. 14JCTPJC00496, 15JCYBJC29900) and Tianjin Municipal Planning Commission of science and Technology Fund (No. 2015K2112).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China

      Wenting Hu, Hongshui Wang, Chengwei Feng, Chunyong Liang, Yahui Dong & Xiang Cheng

    2. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Materials Laminating Fabrication and Interface Control Technology, Research Institute for Energy Equipment Materials, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China

      Wenting Hu, Dan Xia, Chunyong Liang & Qiang Li

    3. Stomatological Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China

      Xin Hu

    4. Civil Engineering Institute, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China

      Xiaoyan Zhao

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    1. Wenting Hu
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    Correspondence to Xiaoyan Zhao or Chunyong Liang.

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    Wenting Hu and Xin Hu have contributed equally.

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    Hu, W., Hu, X., Wang, H. et al. Near infrared ray to ultraviolet up-conversion luminescence of Tm3+–Yb3+ co-doped (CaY)F2 nanocrystals. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 28, 12290–12296 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-7046-8

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