Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Synthesis of Persistent Luminescent Nanoparticles for Rewritable Displays and Illumination Applications
Published on: September 13, 2024
Synthesis and characterization of luminescent cerium oxide nanoparticles
Karran Woan1, Yi-Yang Tsai, Wolfgang Sigmund
1University of Florida, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Rhines Hall, PO Box 116400, Gainesville, FL 32611-36400, USA.
Aims:
Fluorescent cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles were developed through incorporation of erbium into the lattice. Catalytic properties and luminescent behavior are examined.
Materials & Methods:
Cerium-erbium mixed oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by the reverse micelles route. Purity, size, and composition were characterized. Catalytic properties were measured using a hydrogen peroxide assay, and the luminescence properties were determined by confocal microscopy.
Results:
The nanoparticles exhibited enhancement of the catalytic properties with increasing erbium content to 10 mole% in the cerium oxide lattice; and they demonstrated emission at 515 nm and 572.5 nm under 405 nm UV excitation in aqueous conditions.
Conclusion:
Erbium incorporation into ceria-based nanoparticles were developed, having catalytic properties similar to and better than purely synthesized ceria and luminescent properties under UV irradiation by confocal microscopy.
