Colloidal Rare Earth Vanadate Single Crystalline Particles as Ratiometric Luminescent Thermometers

Author(s)

de Sousa Filho, Paulo C. ^[1] ; Alain, Juliette ^[2] ; Lemenager, Godefroy ^[2] ; Larquet, Eric ^[2] ; Fick, Jochen ^{[3, 4]} ; Serra, Osvaldo A. ^[5] ; Gacoin, Thierry ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Campinas Unicamp, Inst Chem, Dept Inorgan Chem, R Monteiro Lobato 270, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Paris Saclay, Lab Phys Matiere Condensee, Solid State Chem Grp, Ecole Polytech, CNRS, F-91128 Palaiseau - France

^[3] Univ Grenoble Alpes, Inst NEEL, F-38042 Grenoble - France

^[4] CNRS, Inst NEEL, F-38042 Grenoble - France

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Fac Filosofia, Dept Chem, Ave Bandeirantes 3900, BR-14040901 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Physical Chemistry C; v. 123, n. 4, p. 2441-2450, JAN 31 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Thulium/ytterbium-doped yttrium vanadate particles provide a ratiometric thermal response as both colloids and powders via downshift or upconversion emissions. Here, we synthesized yttrium vanadates by controlled colloidal conversion of hydroxycarbonate precursors. A protected annealing process yielded single crystalline and readily dispersible particles that were manipulated individually by optical tweezers in water. Because individual particles displayed detectable emissions, this system has potential applications as a single-particle luminescent temperature sensor. Excitation on Yb3+ sensitizers (lambda(exc) = 980 nm) or at vanadate groups (lambda(exc) = 300 nm) resulted in Tm3+ emissions that effectively correlated with the temperature of the sample from 288 to 473 K with high relative thermal sensitivity (0.8-2.2% K-1), one of the highest reported for vanadate nanocrystals so far. Different pairs of Tm3+ transitions afford a ratiometric thermal response, which fitted common sensing requirements such as large {[}F-3(2,3) -> H-3(6) (lambda = 700 nm)/(1)G(4) -> H-3(6) (lambda = 475 nm)] or small {[}F-3(2,3) -> H-3(6) (lambda = 700 nm)/(1)G(4) -> F-3(4) (lambda = 650 nm)] spectral gaps and emission wavelengths at the first near-infrared biological window {[}F-3(2,3) -> H-3(6) (lambda = 700 nm)/H-3(4) -> H-3(6) (lambda = 800 nm)]. Our findings open new perspectives for the use of luminescent nanothermometers with controllable spatial localization, which is a remarkably interesting prospect to investigate microscopically localized events related to changes in temperature. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/11764-2 - Strategies on the synthesis of luminescent nanomaterials for the design of new multimodal optical sensors
• Grantee: Paulo Cesar de Sousa Filho
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants