Synthesis and optical properties of water-soluble fluoride nanophosphors co-doped with Eu3+ and Tb3+

Abstract The synthesis, structure and optical properties of water-soluble fluoride nanophosphors co-doped with Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ are presented. Nanocrystals of NaYF 4 were synthesized via a hydrothermal microwave-assisted technique. XRD, TEM, AFM, FTIR as well as photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the doped nanocrystals. The average size of nanocrystals, determined from XRD, AFM and TEM measurements, was ca. 28 nm. It was found that energy transfer occurs between Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ ions embedded in NaYF 4 matrix, both in nanocrystals dispersed in chloroform and those in aqueous solution. We demonstrate that this simple colloidal system possesses the essential features required for both energy transfer and potential application in biolabeling.