Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026
08:28
Vapor Phase Deposition of Electroactive Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) onto Electrospun Commodity Polymer Nanofibers
Published on: March 7, 2025
Upconversion polymeric nanofibers containing lanthanide-doped nanoparticles via electrospinning
Ying Bao1, Quoc Anh N Luu, Yong Zhao
1Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.
Nanoscale
|October 3, 2012
Summary
Freestanding polymer nanofibers containing upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) were fabricated using electrospinning. These UCNP-infused nanofibers largely preserve their optical properties for photonic applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Photonics
Background:
- Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) offer unique optical properties for various applications.
- Fabricating UCNPs within flexible nanostructures is crucial for advanced photonic devices.
- Electrospinning is a versatile technique for creating polymer nanofibers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate flexible, freestanding poly(methyl methacrylate) nanofibers containing lanthanide-doped sodium yttrium fluoride upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs).
- To investigate the impact of the electrospinning process on the upconversion properties of embedded UCNPs.
- To assess the potential of these UCNP-nanofiber composites for photonic applications.
Main Methods:
- Electrospinning of poly(methyl methacrylate) and UCNPs.
- Characterization of nanofiber morphology and UCNP aggregation (chain-like structures observed).
- Time-resolved upconversion emission measurements under pulsed near-infrared excitation.
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of flexible, freestanding UCNP-containing polymer nanofibers.
- UCNPs formed aligned, chain-like aggregates along the fiber axes.
- A slight reduction in upconversion efficiency was observed, indicating largely preserved properties.
Conclusions:
- Electrospinning effectively preserves the upconversion properties of UCNPs within polymer nanofibers.
- The fabricated UCNP-nanofiber films possess controlled morphology and properties.
- These nanocomposites show promise for diverse photonic applications.
