Issue 6, 2024

Broadband short-wave infrared Mg4Nb2O9:Cr3+,Li+ phosphor for nondestructive safety detection and biomedical imaging

Abstract

Broadband short-wave infrared (IR) phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs) are deemed as excellent light sources for miniature near-IR (NIR) spectroscopy but suffer from a lack of efficient phosphors with emission peaks >850 nm. Novel solid solution Mg4NbxTa2−xO9: 3%Cr3+ phosphors were developed for efficient Cr3+: 4T2(4F) → 4A2 transition at 920 nm with a large full-width at half-maximum of ∼164 nm. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of particle growth, higher crystallinity, and Li+ compensation, the NIR emission intensity of Cr3+ continuously increased with increasing Nb component and even reached twice the value for optimized Mg4Nb2O9: 3%Cr3+,Li+. The optimized sample featured a substantial internal quantum efficiency (QE) of ∼67.1% and an external QE of ∼26.1%. By combing a blue LED chip of ∼465 nm with the optimized phosphor, a self-built pc-LED was tested to exhibit relatively advanced performance, i.e., NIR output powers of 5.1 mW at 20 mA and 62.4 mW at 320 mA as well as a photoelectric efficiency of 10.3% at 20 mA. The broadband NIR pc-LED was successfully applied to clearly image objects behind a plastic cover and to recognize blood vessel distribution inside a human finger and fist. Further development of such Cr3+-activated phosphors (pc-LEDs) will greatly advance the technology of nondestructive safety detection and biomedical imaging, among others.

Graphical abstract: Broadband short-wave infrared Mg4Nb2O9:Cr3+,Li+ phosphor for nondestructive safety detection and biomedical imaging

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Oct 2023
Accepted
31 Dec 2023
First published
03 Jan 2024

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2024,12, 2184-2193

Broadband short-wave infrared Mg4Nb2O9:Cr3+,Li+ phosphor for nondestructive safety detection and biomedical imaging

Q. Ding, J. Wu, D. Yu, X. Han, Y. Zhou, T. Shen, Y. Ma, S. Zhuang and D. Zhang, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2024, 12, 2184 DOI: 10.1039/D3TC03881E

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