Structural and second harmonic generation properties of nanogel of niobium oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

This work reports new optical properties of niobium oxide (Nb2O5) nanoparticles made in the form of nanogel synthesized by an ex-situ wet chemistry method. We studied the structural properties, inorganic/organic binding energy, nanoparticle crystallinity, and second harmonic generation optical properties, by means of X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and second harmonic generation microscopy. Results showed dark/bright field images of the nanogel, Nb2O5 nanoparticles of ~7 nm, Fast Fourier Transform (FFTs) diffractograms, oxidation states of Nb5+, 4+, 3+, 2+, 1+, and 0, binding energies (C 1s) of nanogel, and SHG non-linear properties at 450 nm, and fluorescence at 710 nm, related to blue and green colors of the synthesized nanogel of Nb2O5 nanoparticles, respectively