Preparation and up-conversion fluorescence of rare earth (Er 3+ or Yb 3+/Er 3+)-doped TiO 2 nanobelts

Abstract

Anatase TiO 2 nanobelts doped with rare earth ( RE) ions Yb 3+, Er 3+ or Yb 3+/Er 3+ have been prepared using layered titanate nanobelts (LTO NBs) with RE ions as the precursor obtained by ion-exchange between LTO NBs and RE ions under hydrothermal process. Various measurement results demonstrate that the RE ions have doped into the lattice of TiO 2, and the Er 3+ or Yb 3+/Er 3+ doped nanobelts show strong visible up-conversion (UC) fluorescence under 980 nm excitation. The UC emission intensity of LTO NBs embedded with Er 3+ or Yb 3+/Er 3+ is slightly higher than that of the corresponding TiO 2 nanobelts doped with RE ions, whereas higher RE doping content leads to the decrease of UC emission intensity due to the concentration-quenching effect.