Synthesis and characterization of a stable dispersion of multifunctional Gd2O3:Er,Yb in polyvinyl alcohol

A stable dispersion of multifunctional Gd2O3:Er,Yb phosphor in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was synthesized by varying the concentration of Yb(3+) ions. It had a strong ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-vis) upconversion emission and applications in temperature and magnetic field sensors (e.g., nano-heaters), as well as potential use in bioleveling and bioimaging. Stability of the dispersion was found to strongly depend on the mixing process of the powder in the polymer solution. Spherical shaped nanoparticles in cubic phase of ~ 43 nm diameter were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction; results were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared sspectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermal analysis supported the presence of PVA. NIR pumping produced strong UC emission bands in the red and green regions extending up to very high UV (240 nm). This method provides an alternative for synthesizing a highly UC-efficient non-agglomerated pure transparent dispersion from various efficient phosphors for biological applications.