A facile single-step procedure for the synthesis of luminescent Ln 3+:YVO4 (Ln = Eu or Er + Yb)-silica nanocomposites

Abstract

A simple and single-step method for the production of Ln-doped YVO 4 nanocrystals and their simultaneous encapsulation in a silica network based on the pyrolysis of liquid aerosols at 800 °C is reported. The procedure is illustrated for Yb,Er:YVO4-silica nanocomposites consisting of spherical particles, which present up-converted green luminescence after IR excitation whose efficiency increased on annealing up to 1000 °C due to the release of impurities (adsorbed water, and residual anions). XPS spectroscopy and TEM observations revealed that the surface of the composite particles was enriched in silica, which would facilitate their functionalisation required to use them in biological applications. The procedure can also be used to prepare other rare earth doped systems as illustrated for the case of Eu-doped YVO4/silica having down-converted red luminescence.