Low external quantum yields remain a major hindrance to the practical utility of many lanthanide nanoparticle upconverting and downconverting systems, a partial result of the low absorption cross-sections common to the f-f transitions in lanthanides. While some research has demonstrated ways around the limitations of low-intensity, f-element light absorption, relatively little work has explored the possibility of exploiting the high molar absorptivities of aromatic ligands to sensitize excited states in lanthanide nanocrystals. Our work details the synthesis and photophysical characterization of β-phase NaGd1-xF4Eux nanocrystals displaying an organic sensitizer ligand on their surfaces. The resultant constructs are shown to be effective downconverters of UV (300-360 nm) light into the red emissions typical of Eu(III).

Photosensitized downconversion in rare-earth fluoride nanocrystals

251st National Meeting (2016)

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