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Synthesis of Spherical Down‐ and Up‐Conversion NaYF 4 ‐Based Nanophosphors with Tunable Size in Ethylene Glycol without Surfactants or Capping Additives
Author(s) -
Nuñez Nuria O.,
Míguez Hernán,
Quintanilla Marta,
Cantelar Eugenio,
Cussó Fernando,
Ocaña Manuel
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
european journal of inorganic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1099-0682
pISSN - 1434-1948
DOI - 10.1002/ejic.200800363
Subject(s) - ethylene glycol , chemistry , solvent , yttrium , nanoparticle , precipitation , pulmonary surfactant , chemical engineering , doping , inorganic chemistry , nuclear chemistry , organic chemistry , materials science , biochemistry , physics , optoelectronics , meteorology , engineering , oxide
Abstract A very simple route for the synthesis of spherical down‐conversion (DC) and up‐conversion (UC) NaYF 4 ‐based nanophosphors is described which consists of a precipitation reaction at rather low temperature (max. 120 °C) from solutions containing sodium fluoride and appropriate Ln precursors in a common solvent (ethylene glycol/water mixtures), without the use of any other additive (complexing agent or surfactant). The role played by the nature of the yttrium precursor and the solvent on the morphological characteristics of the nanoparticles is discussed. The size of the nanospheres, which crystallized in the cubic α‐NaYF 4 phase, could be tuned within the 45–155 nm range by adjusting the reaction parameters (temperature and ethylene glycol/water ratio). The applicability of this method is illustrated for the synthesis of Eu III ‐doped (DC), Tb III ‐doped (DC) and Yb III /Er III codoped (UC) NaYF 4 nanophosphors, whose luminescent properties were also analysed.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)