Enhanced emission and reactive oxygen species generation of GdOF: Yb3+, Er3+ nanomaterial under ambient dark conditions

Abstract

Yb3+ and Er3+ co-doped GdOF nanomaterials were synthesized using a urea-based co-precipitation method followed by calcination at 500 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The structural characteristics and crystallite size were determined through Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction measurements. The impact of doping concentration on the shape, size, and morphology was thoroughly investigated and discussed. The average crystallite size of the material falls within the range of 10–19 nm. Vibrational modes corresponding to desired bonds were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy. Visible luminescence spectra were recorded under 390 nm excitation. The visible luminescence property is attributed to the contribution of Er3+. The detailed luminescence mechanism was thoroughly discussed. The luminescence properties were analyzed in relation to varying concentrations of Er3+ ions (while maintaining a fixed Yb3+ concentration), with comprehensive discussions provided. Building upon the luminescent characteristics of these materials, investigations were conducted into the generation of reactive oxygen species, both experimentally and theoretically. In conclusion, the photoluminescence study indicates that the synthesized material holds significant promise for applications in oxidative stress-induced therapeutic processes and versatile bioimaging purposes.