Lanthanide-doped up-converting (UC) nanomaterials continue to attract huge attention due to their wide range of applications; from biological imaging to photovoltaics, photonics, and photocatalysis. Previously, we have used designed anhydrous molecular precursors such as [NaLn(TFA)₄(diglyme)] or [Ln(TFA)₃(glyme)] (where Ln = Y, Gd, Tm, Yb; TFA = trifluoroacetate; glyme = monoglyme or diglyme) to prepare highly efficient Tm³⁺-doped MM'_1-xYb_xF₄ (M = Li, Na; M' = Y, Gd) nanoparticles (NPs) by metal-organic decomposition.¹ The above strategy not only facilitated a better control over the composition, structure and morphology of the nanomaterials, but anhydrous conditions also minimized –OH functionality on the surface of the upconverting NPs. In order to get finer control on the synthesis time and upscale the synthesis, we have now employed these home-made precursors in microwave-assisted method, which has advantage of achieving rapid and nearly simultaneous heating leading to very small and monodisperse particles.² The obtained UCNPs, which were characterized thoroughly by different physico-chemical methods and which showed excellent up-conversion properties, were then deposited on an appropriate support in the form of embedded-in-mesoporous silica or titania films by spin-coating. Different parameters such as concentration, time, temparature, etc. were studied to optimize the best conditions for the deposition. Preliminary results on patterning these films by nano-imprint lithography will also be presented.

References

[1] B. Purohit et al., ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2023, 6, 2310–2326; B. Purohit et al., Mater. Today. Chem. 2020, 17, 100326; H. Ayadi et al., RSC Adv. 2015, 5, 100535-100545.

[2] A. Egatz-Gomez et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 23026–23038; I. Halimi et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2019,7, 15364-15374.