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Published on: October 25, 2012
Lanthanoid-doped BiVO4 microswimmers with built-in photon upconversion and light-driven motion
João Marcos Gonçalves1, Luisa Natalia Córdoba Urresti1,2, Yufen Chen1
1Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Av. Països Catalans, 16, Tarragona E-43007, Spain. kvilla@iciq.es.
Abstract:
We report a one-step synthesis of lanthanoid-doped BiVO4 microswimmers that integrate photon upconversion and light-driven propulsion within a single particle. Yb3+/Er3+ doping enables near-infrared-to-visible upconversion, while BiVO4 provides photocatalytic propulsion. This straightforward strategy avoids multi-component assembly and opens up new opportunities for designing multifunctional photoactive microswimmers with intrinsic luminescence for potential use in environmental and biomedical applications.
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