Imaging Science and Photochemistry ›› 2018, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (2): 161-170.DOI: 10.7517/j.issn.1674-0475.2018.02.005

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Hydrothermal Synthesis of α-NaYF4: Ce3+/Tb3+ Nanospheres with High Fluorescence Properties

TAO Pingfang, FENG Yuqin, ZHOU Neng, QIN Liqin, ZHANG Pei   

  1. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology, Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory for Efficient Use of Agricultural Resources in the Southeast of Guangxi, College of Chemistry and Food Science, Yulin Normal University, Yulin 537000, Guangxi, P. R. China
  • Received:2017-04-11 Revised:2017-05-18 Online:2018-03-15 Published:2018-03-15

Abstract: Cubic phase (α-)NaYF4:Ce3+/Tb3+ nanospheres with high fluorescence properties was synthesized by hydrothermal method using sodium potassium tartrate(C4O6H4KNa) as raw materials and assistant agent. The structure and fluorescence properties of the samples were characterize by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser particle sizer,fluorescence spectrophotometer (FL) and fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The results of XRD indicate that the synthesized NaYF4:Ce3+/Tb3+, adding with different quantities of potassium sodium tartrate, appeared different phase. The phase of product is mixed with cubic and hexagonal phase, and easily transformed to pure cubic phase or mixed with cubic and hexagonal phase again, and pure hexagonal phase finally, as the dosage of potassium sodium tartrate increases. SEM images show that the mixed phase of the NaYF4:Ce3+/Tb3+ appear two different morphologies, namely hexagonal prism micro-rod and nanosphere, and the cubic phase is only nanosphere about 100 nm in diameter. Sodium potassium tartrate plays an important role in the morphology control. The fluorescence display the green light emission of the synthesized NaYF4:Ce3+/Tb3+ peak at 543 nm mainly from the transition of Tb3+ between 5D4-7F5, under the excitation of 290 nm light. The fluorescence intensity of the pure α-NaYF4:5%Ce3+/5%Tb3+ by solvothermal treatment at 180℃ for 24 h, with the dosage of potassium sodium tartrate as 1.2 g, was significantly higher than that of the mixed phase(α+β) NaYF4:Ce3+/Tb3+ or pure hexagonal phase (β-) NaYF4:Ce3+/Tb3+.

Key words: NaYF4, nanospheres, hydrothermal synthesis