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Nano Research 2021, 14(11): 4107-4115 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3350-y
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 24 February 2021

Multiband emission from single β-NaYF4(Yb, Er) nanoparticles at high excitation power densities and comparison to ensemble studies

Show Author's Information Florian Frenzel1,4,  Christian Würth1,  Oleksii Dukhno2,  Frédéric Przybilla2,  Lisa M. Wiesholler3,  Verena Muhr3,  Thomas Hirsch3,  Yves Mély2,  Ute Resch-Genger1( )
Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) Division 1.2 Biophotonics, Richard-Willstaetter -Str. 11Berlin 12489 Germany
Laboratory of Biomaging and Pathologies UMR 7021 CNRS, University of StrasbourgStrasbourg 67000 France
Institute of Analytical Chemistry Chemo- and Biosensors, University of Regensburg93040 Regensburg Germany
Institut für Physik and IRIS Adlershof Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstraße 1512489 Berlin Germany
Keywords:
upconversion luminescence, single nanoparticle study, high power excitation, emission color, luminescence decay kinetics
Topics:
Photoluminescence spectroscopy
Cite this article:
Frenzel F, Würth C, Dukhno O, et al. Multiband emission from single β-NaYF4(Yb, Er) nanoparticles at high excitation power densities and comparison to ensemble studies. Nano Research, 2021, 14(11): 4107-4115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3350-y
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

Ensemble and single particle studies of the excitation power density (P)-dependent upconversion luminescence (UCL) of core and core–shell β-NaYF4: Yb, Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) doped with 20% Yb3+ and 1% or 3% Er3+ performed over a P regime of 6 orders of magnitude reveal an increasing contribution of the emission from high energy Er3+ levels at P > 1 kW/cm2. This changes the overall emission color from initially green over yellow to white. While initially the green and with increasing P the red emission dominate in ensemble measurements at P < 1 kW/cm2, the increasing population of higher Er3+ energy levels by multiphotonic processes at higher P in single particle studies results in a multitude of emission bands in the ultraviolet/visible/near infrared (UV/vis/NIR) accompanied by a decreased contribution of the red luminescence. Based upon a thorough analysis of the P-dependence of UCL, the emission bands activated at high P were grouped and assigned to 2–3, 3–4, and 4 photonic processes involving energy transfer (ET), excited-state absorption (ESA), cross-relaxation (CR), back energy transfer (BET), and non-radiative relaxation processes (nRP). This underlines the P-tunability of UCNP brightness and color and highlights the potential of P-dependent measurements for mechanistic studies required to manifest the population pathways of the different Er3+ levels.


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About this article

Multiband emission from single β-NaYF4(Yb, Er) nanoparticles at high excitation power densities and comparison to ensemble studies

Show Author's information Florian Frenzel1,4, Christian Würth1, Oleksii Dukhno2, Frédéric Przybilla2, Lisa M. Wiesholler3, Verena Muhr3, Thomas Hirsch3, Yves Mély2, Ute Resch-Genger1( )
Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) Division 1.2 Biophotonics, Richard-Willstaetter -Str. 11Berlin 12489 Germany
Laboratory of Biomaging and Pathologies UMR 7021 CNRS, University of StrasbourgStrasbourg 67000 France
Institute of Analytical Chemistry Chemo- and Biosensors, University of Regensburg93040 Regensburg Germany
Institut für Physik and IRIS Adlershof Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstraße 1512489 Berlin Germany

Abstract

Ensemble and single particle studies of the excitation power density (P)-dependent upconversion luminescence (UCL) of core and core–shell β-NaYF4: Yb, Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) doped with 20% Yb3+ and 1% or 3% Er3+ performed over a P regime of 6 orders of magnitude reveal an increasing contribution of the emission from high energy Er3+ levels at P > 1 kW/cm2. This changes the overall emission color from initially green over yellow to white. While initially the green and with increasing P the red emission dominate in ensemble measurements at P < 1 kW/cm2, the increasing population of higher Er3+ energy levels by multiphotonic processes at higher P in single particle studies results in a multitude of emission bands in the ultraviolet/visible/near infrared (UV/vis/NIR) accompanied by a decreased contribution of the red luminescence. Based upon a thorough analysis of the P-dependence of UCL, the emission bands activated at high P were grouped and assigned to 2–3, 3–4, and 4 photonic processes involving energy transfer (ET), excited-state absorption (ESA), cross-relaxation (CR), back energy transfer (BET), and non-radiative relaxation processes (nRP). This underlines the P-tunability of UCNP brightness and color and highlights the potential of P-dependent measurements for mechanistic studies required to manifest the population pathways of the different Er3+ levels.

Keywords: upconversion luminescence, single nanoparticle study, high power excitation, emission color, luminescence decay kinetics

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Received: 17 October 2020
Revised: 17 January 2021
Accepted: 20 January 2021
Published: 24 February 2021
Issue date: November 2021

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© The Author(s) 2021

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the European Upconversion Network (EUN) for financial support of a research exchange program (COST- CM1403). U. R.-G., F. F. and C. W. acknowledge financial support by research grants RE 1203/20-1 (project NANOHYPE; DFG and M-Eranet). Y. M. is grateful to the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) for support and providing additional time to be dedicated to research.

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