The size-dependent thermal enhancement of down-shifting luminescence based on non-Yb3+-mediated energy migration

Abstract

The past few years have witnessed extensive attention to the size-dependent up-conversion luminescence thermal enhancement of Ln3+ doped nanoparticles, where the involvement of Yb3+ ions seem to be essential. In this work, a size-dependent down-shifting luminescence thermal enhancement behavior of NaGdF4:Ce3+/Tb3+ has been reported. Specifically, it is the first time to realize the size-dependent luminescence thermal enhancement with a non-Yb3+-involved luminescence process. We demonstrate that the size-dependent luminescence behavior is ascribed to the establishment of energy migration channels via Gd3+ sublattice. These findings offer a feasible way to design the luminescence thermal behavior of nanophosphors with a broader range in terms of both chemical composition and luminescence mechanism.