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Rapid microwave-enhanced hydrothermal synthesis and shape evolution of uniform NaGdF4:Yb, Er (Tm/Ho) nanocrystals
1State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China. Research Center of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomaterials, College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
An efficient microwave-enhanced hydrothermal synthesis strategy was developed for the rapid synthesis of β-NaGdF4:Ln(3+) (Ln = Yb, Er/Tm/Ho) nanocrystals (NCs) with multicolour upconversion luminescence and paramagnetic properties. It has been found that the uniform β-NaGdF4:Ln(3+) NCs could be rapidly formed within a few minutes at 160 °C and the shape of the NCs can be manipulated from uniform rod-like to spherical just by tuning the initial reactants' concentration. In comparison to conventional hydrothermal routes, a burst homogeneous nucleation and higher growth rate as well as enhanced dimensional homogeneity of the NaGdF4:Ln(3+) was achieved in microwave synthesis. A microwave-heating-based classical crystallization mode and surfactant-assisted anisotropic growth mechanism were proposed for the formation of β-NaGdF4:Ln(3+) NCs.
