Mechanochemical synthesis of Luminescent rare earth tetrafluoride nanomaterials for infrared and X-ray excitation

• Grant number: 24/20725-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Lucas Carvalho Veloso Rodrigues
• Grantee: Vitor Henrique Lima
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/11983-4 - Spectroscopy signal enhancement: nanomaterials, theory, and computer simulation, AP.TEM

Abstract

Rare earth elements, comprising the lanthanides along with yttrium and scandium, are metals primarily known for their luminescent properties, driving technological advancements in fields like color-emitting devices, luminescent sensors, lasers, and biomedicine. Among lanthanide-based compounds, inorganic materials doped with these ions stand out, traditionally synthesized through complex and low-efficiency synthetic routes. Mechanochemistry has proven effective in this area due to its ability to create advanced materials via structural changes and surface energy generated during the milling process, in a simple and green way, with the added benefit of enabling production scale-up. This project focuses on studying the control of phase transition (cubic ¿ hexagonal / hexagonal ¿ cubic) of NaYF¿:Er,Yb and the mechanochemical synthesis of NaLuF¿:Tb3+, which exhibit, respectively, upconversion luminescence and persistent luminescence excited by X-rays. The structure of these materials will be investigated, as well as the mechanochemical factors influencing their properties. Luminescent properties will also be studied. With this project, we aim to prepare nanoscale luminescent materials with high synthetic control and scalability potential.