Highly efficient green up-conversion emission from fluoroindate glass nanoparticles functionalized with a biocompatible polymer.

ABSTRACT: Up-conversion nanoparticles have garnered lots of attention due to their ability to transform low energy light (near-infrared) into high-energy (visible) light, enabling their potential use as remote visible light nano-transducers. However, their low efficiency restricts their full potential. To overcome this disadvantage, fluoroindate glasses (InF₃) doped at different molar concentrations of Yb³⁺ and Er³⁺ were obtained using the melting-quenching technique, reaching the highest green emission at 1.4Yb and 1.75Er (mol%), which corresponds to the ⁴S_3/2 → ⁴I_15/2 (540-552 nm) transition. The particles possess the amorphous nature of the glass and have a high thermostability, as corroborated by thermogravimetric assay. Furthermore, the spectral decay curve analysis showed efficient energy transfer as the rare-earth ions varied. This was corroborated with the absolute quantum yield (QY) obtained (85%) upon excitation at 385 nm with QYEr = 17% and QYYb = 68%. Additionally, InF₃-1.4Yb-1.75Er was milled and functionalized using poly(ethylene glycol) to impart biocompatibility, which is essential for biomedical applications. Such functionalization was verified using FTIR, TG/DSC, and XRD.

SUBMITTER: Jimenez GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9272469 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature