NaYF4:Pr3+ nanocrystals displaying photon cascade emission

Marek A. Gusowski; Hendrik C. Swart; Lisa S. Karlsson; Monika Trzebiatowska-Gusowska

doi:10.1039/C1NR11249J

NaYF₄:Pr³⁺nanocrystals displaying photon cascade emission

Marek A. Gusowski,*^a Hendrik C. Swart,^a Lisa S. Karlsson^b and Monika Trzebiatowska-Gusowska^cd

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Nelson Mandela Drive, (IB 51) PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa
E-mail: marek.gusowski@wp.pl, swarthc@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 (0)51 401 3507
Tel: +27 (0)51 401 9030

^b Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, UK
E-mail: lisa.karlsson@materials.ox.ac.uk
Fax: +44 (0)18 65 27 3789
Tel: +44 (0)18 65 27 3657

^c Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Wrocław University of Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, Wrocław, Poland
E-mail: monika.trzebiatowska-gusowska@pwr.wroc.pl
Fax: +48 (0)71 320 3621
Tel: +48 (0)71 320 3364

^d Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, Nelson Mandela Drive, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Abstract

The quantum-cutting process is observed in nanocrystalline fluoride (NaYF₄) doped with Pr³⁺. The thermal decomposition synthesis method was used to synthesize the NaYF₄ nanocrystals with an average size of 42 nm. The morphological high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), structural X-ray diffraction (XRD) and spectroscopy, with the use of synchrotron radiation, have been employed to characterize the material. The different excitation energies created different luminescence response of the NaYF₄:Pr³⁺ nanocrystals. The quantum-cutting phenomenon has been observed under the direct excitation of the 4f5d bands of praseodymium. After excitation of the NaYF₄ matrix this process is quenched and part of the energy is released through the self-trapped excitons emission. The origin of the different types of emission transitions has been analyzed in detail.

Article information

https://doi.org/10.1039/C1NR11249J

Article type

Paper

Submitted

05 Sep 2011

Accepted

27 Oct 2011

First published

29 Nov 2011

Download Citation

Nanoscale, 2012,4, 541-546

Permissions

Request permissions

NaYF₄:Pr³⁺ nanocrystals displaying photon cascade emission

M. A. Gusowski, H. C. Swart, L. S. Karlsson and M. Trzebiatowska-Gusowska, Nanoscale, 2012, 4, 541 DOI: 10.1039/C1NR11249J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Nanoscale