Small lanthanide-doped Sr2YbF7 nanocrystals: Upconversion fluorescence and upconversion-driven photodegradation

• Published in: Optical materials 2018-12, Vol.86, p.537-544
• Main Authors: Xiang, Lijun, Zhu, Xiaojiao, Kong, Lin, Zhou, Hongping, Wu, Mingzai, Qian, Haisheng, Wang, Wanni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Photo-degradation; Sr2YbF7 nanocrystals; Upconversion
• ISSN: 0925-3467; 1873-1252
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2018.10.045

A series of lanthanide-doped Sr2YbF7 nanocrystals were prepared conveniently via a solvothermal method using oleic acid as the stabilizing agent, which were about 15 nm of the average crystalline size at 200 °C and 24 h. Through screening the doped lanthanide ions and their concentrations, we found that the nanocrystals realized intense ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared upconversion emissions under 980 nm excitation. Based on the photo-physical property of the nanocrystals, we built the hybrid Sr2YbF7: Tm3+@TiO2 to successfully realize upconversion-driven photo-degradation of Rhodamine B, in which semiconducting TiO2 took advantage of the light emitted by Sr2YbF7: Tm3+ to produce the electron-hole pairs. A series of lanthanide-doped Sr2YbF7 nanocrystals were prepared conveniently via a solvothermal method, and the hybrid Sr2YbF7: Tm3+@TiO2 was built to successfully realize upconversion-driven photodegradation of RhB. [Display omitted] •Small lanthanide-doped Sr2YbF7 upconversion nanocrystals were prepared.•Upconversion fluorescence properties of lanthanide-doped Sr2YbF7 nanocrystals were studied.•Upconversion-driven photodegradation was successfully realized.