Effect of Pr3+ concentration in luminescence properties & upconversion mechanism of triple doped NaYF4: Yb3+, Er3+, Pr3+

Abstract

Lanthanide-doped fluoride nanocrystals (NCs) exhibit excellent optical features, including upconversion and downconversion luminescence (UCL and DCL), that can be utilized in a variety of applications. In this study, we have successfully demonstrated the photoluminescence behavior of triple-doped NaYF4: Yb3+, Er3+, Pr3+ NCs in the Vis-NIR region. Herein, highly monodisperse hexagonal phase NaYF4: Yb0.2, Er0.02, Prx nanocrystals in various Pr3+ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mol %) concentration with ∼22 nm diameter synthesized by thermal decomposition technique. The photoluminescence studies for all samples were performed under 980 nm laser excitation. The luminescence intensity of Er3+ including blue (407 nm), green (520 and 540 nm), red (654 nm), and near-infrared (845 nm and 1530 nm) emissions was significantly quenched and Pr3+ emission intensity at 1290 nm (Pr3+:1G4→3H5) changes irregularly upon doping with Pr3+ ions. Furthermore, we performed the excitation power dependence and decay time analysis to investigate the energy transfer and upconversion mechanisms of samples. These findings indicate that the presence of praseodymium strongly reduces emission intensities due to abundant cross-relaxation channels. In addition, particle size is an efficient factor, shedding light on the influence of Pr3+ on the energy transfer and upconversion mechanisms of the fluorides.