Highly efficient green up-conversion emission from fluoroindate glass nanoparticles functionalized with a biocompatible polymer

G. Lesly Jimenez; Binita Shrestha; Tyron Porter; Bartlomiej Starzyk; Magdalena Lesniak; Marta Kuwik; Marcin Kochanowicz; Magdalena Szumera; R. Lisiecki; D. Dorosz

doi:10.1039/D2RA03171J

Highly efficient green up-conversion emission from fluoroindate glass nanoparticles functionalized with a biocompatible polymer†

G. Lesly Jimenez,

*^a Binita Shrestha,^b Tyron Porter,^b Bartlomiej Starzyk,^a Magdalena Lesniak,^a Marta Kuwik,

^c Marcin Kochanowicz,^d Magdalena Szumera,^a R. Lisiecki^e and D. Dorosz

^a

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Science and Technology, A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
E-mail: glesly@agh.edu.pl

^b The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78-712 Texas, USA

^c Institute of Chemistry, University of Silesia, Szkolna 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland

^d Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45D Street, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland

^e Optical Spectroscopy Division, University of Wrocław, plac Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław, Poland

Abstract

Up-conversion nanoparticles have garnered lots of attention due to their ability to transform low energy light (near-infrared) into high-energy (visible) light, enabling their potential use as remote visible light nano-transducers. However, their low efficiency restricts their full potential. To overcome this disadvantage, fluoroindate glasses (InF₃) doped at different molar concentrations of Yb³⁺ and Er³⁺ were obtained using the melting–quenching technique, reaching the highest green emission at 1.4Yb and 1.75Er (mol%), which corresponds to the ⁴S_3/2 → ⁴I_15/2 (540–552 nm) transition. The particles possess the amorphous nature of the glass and have a high thermostability, as corroborated by thermogravimetric assay. Furthermore, the spectral decay curve analysis showed efficient energy transfer as the rare-earth ions varied. This was corroborated with the absolute quantum yield (QY) obtained (85%) upon excitation at 385 nm with QYEr = 17% and QYYb = 68%. Additionally, InF₃–1.4Yb–1.75Er was milled and functionalized using poly(ethylene glycol) to impart biocompatibility, which is essential for biomedical applications. Such functionalization was verified using FTIR, TG/DSC, and XRD.

RSC Advances

Highly efficient green up-conversion emission from fluoroindate glass nanoparticles functionalized with a biocompatible polymer†

Abstract

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Download Citation

Permissions

Highly efficient green up-conversion emission from fluoroindate glass nanoparticles functionalized with a biocompatible polymer

Social activity

Search articles by author

Spotlight

Advertisements