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Upconversion Nanoparticles Synthesized by Ultrashort Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid: Effect of the Stabilizing Environment
Author(s) -
Gemini Laura,
Schmitz Tim,
Kling Rainer,
Barcikowski Stephan,
Gökce Bilal
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201601266
Subject(s) - laser ablation synthesis in solution , nanoparticle , colloid , materials science , laser ablation , photon upconversion , fluence , laser , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , optoelectronics , luminescence , laser power scaling , optics , x ray laser , physics , engineering
The distinctive feature of upconverting compounds to absorb and emit light in the near‐infrared region has made upconverting nanoparticles of great interest in various application fields. Nevertheless, these colloids show a highly hydrophobic behavior, and therefore, the use of a proper stabilizing agent is necessary in most cases. Although few chemical techniques for colloid stabilization are available, it is still difficult to achieve a fully reproducible synthesis method for stable upconverting nanoparticle colloids. In this work, upconversion 18 %Yb:1 %Er:NaYF 4 nanoparticles were produced by ultrafast pulsed laser ablation in a water and 2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)‐ ethoxy]acetic acid (MEEAA) environment to assess the stabilization effect of the surfactant on the nanoparticle colloid properties. The effects of the laser fluence and MEEAA concentration on the nanoparticles′ properties were investigated by TEM, EDS, and emission spectra analyses. The results show that ultrashort pulsed laser ablation in liquid allows generating highly spherical nanoparticles with conserved stoichiometry and optical properties. Moreover, it is possible to obtain colloids with significantly higher stability and preserved optical properties by one‐step PLAL processes directly in the MEEAA environment.