Synthesis and Characterization of KMnF<SUB>3</SUB>:Yb/Er@KMnF<SUB>3</SUB> Upconversion Luminescent Nanocrystals

Abstract

A hydrothermal method has been developed for preparation of monodispersed and flake KMnF3 upconversion luminescent nanocrystals doped with Yb3+ and Er3+. The prepared nanocystals materials were characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM and TEM. The upconversion emission spectra show that the KMnF3:Yb/Er nanocrystals has a single-narrow-band emission centered at 660 nm. This is the firstly reported hydrothermal procedure for synthesis of the flake KMnF3 nanocrystals with single-narrow-band upconversion luminescence. Furthermore, a core-shell structure was introduced to synthesize the KMnF3:Yb/Er@KMnF3 nanocrystals and higher luminescence intensity was obtained.

Nd3+/Yb3+ cascade-sensitized single-band red upconversion emission in active-core/active-shell nanocrystals

“…Compared with conventionally used quantum dots, fluorescent proteins or organic dyes, upconversion nanomaterials (UCNMs) have been regarded as a new class of fluorescent bioprobes, owing to their distinct optical properties, including narrow emission bands, long luminescence lifetimes, excellent photostability, and minimal autofluorescence background [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Although continuous efforts have been devoted to optimizing the luminescent properties of UCNMs for biological applications, there still exist some challenges that may prevent their practical use in deep-tissue bioimaging.…”