Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ce3+/Tb3+ activated GdF3, KGdF4, and CeF3 submicro/nanocrystals: Synthesis, phase evolution, and optical properties

  • Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Based on a citric acid-assisted hydrothermal method, series of Ce3+/Tb3+ activated fluorides have been synthesized. By controlling the amount of KNO3, the final products evolve from the Ce +/Tb + codoped orthorhombic phase GdF3 to the Ce +/Tb + codoped cubic phase KGdF4. The concentration of Ce3+ has great effects on the crystalline phases and the morphologies of final products. The Ce3+ concentration dependent samples illustrate the appearance of the hexagonal phase solid solution CeF3-GdF3-TbF3 in the final products. When the Ce3+ concentration is 20 mol%, the sample Ce20 presents the hexagonal phase CeF3 but the diffraction peaks move to higher degree. The x-ray diffraction patterns suggest the phase evolution of final products, the field emission scanning electron microscopy images present the variation in morphology of samples, and the photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra as well as the luminescent dynamic curves illustrate the optical properties of samples.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

FIG. 1.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 3.
FIG. 4.
SCHEME 1.
FIG. 5.
FIG. 6.
FIG. 7.
FIG. 8.
FIG. 9.
FIG. 10.
TABLE I.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. F. Wang and X.G. Liu: Recent advances in the chemistry of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanocrystals. Chem. Soc. Rev. 38, 976 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. S.V. Eliseeva and J.C. Bünzli: Lanthanide luminescence for functional materials and bio-sciences. Chem. Soc. Rev. 39, 189 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. B. Yan and J.H. Wu: Facile composite synthesis and photoluminescence of NaGd(MoO4)2: Ln3+ (Ln = Eu, Tb) submicrometer phosphors. J. Mater. Res. 24, 32 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. C-H. Liang, Y-C. Chang, Y-S. Chang, and S. Wu: Photoluminescence properties of Eu3+-doped BaY2ZnO5 phosphors under near-ultraviolet irradiation. J. Mater. Res. 25, 850 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. C.X. Li and J. Lin: Rare earth fluoride nano-/microcrystals: Synthesis, surface modification and application. J. Mater. Chem. 20, 6831 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. P.R. Diamente, M. Raudsepp, and F.C.J.M. van Veggel: Dispersible Tm3+-doped nanoparticles that exhibit strong 1.47 µm photoluminescence. Adv. Funct. Mater. 17, 363 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. R.T. Wegh, H. Donker, K.D. Oskam, and A. Meijerink: Visible quantum cutting in LiGdF4:Eu3+ through downconversion. Science 283, 663 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. F.T. You, S.H. Huang, S.M. Liu, and Y. Tao: VUV excited luminescence of MGdF4:Eu3+ (M=Na, K, NH4). J. Lumin. 110, 95 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. P. Ptacek, H. Schäfer, K. Kömpe, and M. Haase: Crystal phase control of luminescing a-NaGdF4:Eu3+and ß-NaGdF4:Eu3+ nanocrystals. Adv. Funct. Mater. 17, 3843 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. X.H. Liu, L.M. Wang, Z.Y. Wang, and Z.Q. Li: Synthesis of biocompatible and luminescent NaGdF4:Yb,Er@carbon nanoparticles in water-in-oil microemulsion. J. Mater. Res. 26, 82 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. F. He, P.P. Yang, D. Wang, N. Niu, S.L. Gai, and X.B. Li: Self-assembled ß-NaGdF4 microcrystals: Hydrothermal synthesis, morphology evolution, and luminescence properties. Inorg. Chem. 50, 4116 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. T. Lee, L. Luo, W. Diau, T. Chen, B. Cheng, and C. Tung: Visible quantum cutting through downconversion in green-emitting K2GdF5:Tb3+ phosphors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 131121 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. L.W. Yang, Y.Y. Zhang, J.J. Li, Y. Li, J.X. Zhong, and P.K. Chu: Magnetic and upconverted luminescent properties of multifunctional lanthanide doped cubic KGdF4 nanocrystals. Nanoscale 2, 2805 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. C.Y. Cao, H.K. Yang, J.W. Chung, B.K. Moon, B.C. Choi, J.H. Jeong, and K.H. Kim: Hydrothermal synthesis and enhanced photoluminescence of Tb3+ in Ce3+/Tb3+ doped KGdF4 nanocrystals. J. Mater. Chem. 21, 10342 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Y-P. Du, Y-W. Zhang, L-D. Sun, and C-H. Yan: Optically active uniform potassium and lithium rare earth fluoride nanocrystals derived from metal trifluroacetate precursors. Dalton Trans. 8574 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  16. R. Kumar, M. Nyk, T. Ohulchanskyy, C. Flask, and P. Prasad: Combined optical and MR bioimaging using rare earth ion doped NaYF4 nanocrystals. Adv. Funct. Mater. 19, 853 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Y. Park, J. Kim, K. Lee, K. Jeon, H. Na, J. Yu, H. Kim, N. Lee, S. Choi, S. Baik, H. Kim, S. Park, B. Park, Y. Kim, S. Lee, S. Yoon, I. Song, W. Moom, Y. Suh, and T. Hyeon: Nonblinking and nonbleaching upconverting nanoparticles as an optical imaging nanoprobe and T1 magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent. Adv. Mater. 21, 4467 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. G.M. Karvianto and Chow: The effects of surface and surface coatings on fluorescence properties of hollow NaYF4:Yb,Er upconversion nanoparticles. J. Mater. Res. 26, 70 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. L.P. Qian, D. Yuan, G.S. Yi, and G.M. Chow: Critical shell thickness and emission enhancement of NaYF4:Yb,Er/NaYF4/silica core/shell/shell nanoparticles. J. Mater. Res. 24, 3559 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. G.F. Wang and Q. Peng: Synthesis and tunable photoluminescence of NaYF4:Eu/Ba nanocrystals. J. Mater. Res. 25, 2422 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. J.H. Liang, Q. Peng, X. Wang, X. Zheng, R.J. Wang, X.P. Qiu, C.W. Nan, and Y.D. Li: Chromate nanorods/nanobelts: General synthesis, characterization, and properties. Inorg. Chem. 44, 9405 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Y.J. Huang, H.P. You, G. Jia, Y.H. Song, Y.H. Zheng, M. Yang, K. Liu, and N. Guo: Hydrothermal synthesis, cubic structure, and luminescence properties of BaYF5:RE (RE = Eu, Ce, Tb) nanocrystals. J. Phys. Chem. C 114, 18051 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. G.G. Zhang, J. Wang, Y. Chen, and Q. Su: Two-color emitting of Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped CaLaGa3S6O for UV LEDs. Opt. Lett. 35, 2382 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Y.Q. Lei, M. Pang, W.Q. Fan, J. Feng, S.Y. Song, S. Dang, and H.J. Zhang: Microwave-assisted synthesis of hydrophilic BaYF5:Tb/Ce,Tb green fluorescent colloid nanocrystals. Dalton Trans. 40, 142 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. H. Guo, H. Zhang, J.J. Li, and F. Li: Blue-white-green tunable luminescence from Ba2Gd2Si4O13:Ce3+,Tb3+ phosphors excited by ultraviolet light. Opt. Express 18, 27257 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. F. Wang, Y. Han, C.S. Lim, Y.H. Lu, J. Wang, J. Xu, H.Y. Chen, C. Zhang, M.H. Hong, and X.G. Liu: Simultaneous phase and size control of upconversion nanocrystals through lanthanide doping. Nature 463, 1061 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. D.Q. Chen, Y.L. Yu, F. Huang, A.P. Yang, and Y.S. Wang: Lanthanide activator doped NaYb1-xGdxF4 nanocrystals with tunable down-, up-conversion luminescence and paramagnetic properties. J. Mater. Chem. 21, 6186 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. D.Q. Chen, Y.L. Yu, F. Huang, and Y.S. Wang: Phase transition from hexagonal LnF3 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr) to cubic Ln0.8M0.2F2.8 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) nanocrystals with enhanced upconversion induced by alkaline-earth doping. Chem. Commun. 47, 2601 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. D.Q. Chen, Y.L. Yu, F. Huang, P. Huang, A.P. Yang, and Y.S. Wang: Modifying the size and shape of monodisperse bifunctional alkaline-earth fluoride nanocrystals through lanthanide doping. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 9976 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. C.X. Li, P.A. Ma, P.P. Yang, Z.H. Xu, G.G. Li, D.M. Yang, C. Peng, and J. Lin: Fine structural and morphological control of rare earth fluorides REF3 (RE = La–Lu, Y) nano/microcrystals: Microwave-assisted ionic liquid synthesis, magnetic and luminescent properties. CrystEngComm 13, 1003 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. G. Blasse: The physics of new luminescent materials. Mater. Chem. Phys. 16, 201 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Pukyong National University, Busan, 608-737, Korea

    Chunyan Cao, Hyun Kyoung Yang, Jong Won Chung, Byung Kee Moon, Byung Chun Choi & Jung Hyun Jeong

  2. College of Mathematics and Physics, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, 343009, China

    Chunyan Cao

  3. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, 609-735, Korea

    Kwang Ho Kim

Authors
  1. Chunyan Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hyun Kyoung Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jong Won Chung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Byung Kee Moon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Byung Chun Choi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jung Hyun Jeong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Kwang Ho Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jung Hyun Jeong.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cao, C., Yang, H.K., Chung, J.W. et al. Ce3+/Tb3+ activated GdF3, KGdF4, and CeF3 submicro/nanocrystals: Synthesis, phase evolution, and optical properties. Journal of Materials Research 26, 2916–2923 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2011.388

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2011.388

Search

Navigation