Here,
we report a nanocomposite with excellent photothermal performance
promising for photothermal treatment. This nanocomposite is prepared
by linking Au nanorods (NRs) to NaGdF4:18% Yb3+, 2%Er3+@NaYF4 core–shell upconversion
nanoparticles (UCNPs) with bridging of polyethylene glycol molecules.
Solutions with the composite nanoparticles can be heated by the irradiation
of a near-infrared 980 nm laser, and the photothermal effect in terms
of temperature rise can reach 21.3 °C with excitation power density
as low as 0.090 W/cm2. This highly effective photothermal
performance is attributed to coincidence of the emission band of the
UCNPs and the absorption band of the Au NRs, which facilitates the
light-to-heat conversion. The structure of the composite and the concentration
of the Au NRs in the solution are also optimized through the emission
intensity, green-to-red intensity ratio, and the photothermal effect
in this work. Compared with previous research studies, the strength
in the lower irradiation power density makes the nanocomposite promising
for further photothermal treatment and temperature sensing.
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