Mg 2+-doped GaN nanoparticles as blue-light emitters: a method to avoid sintering at high temperatures.

Bright blue-light emission at 410 nm is observed from Mg(2+)-doped GaN nanoparticles prepared by the nitridation of Ga(2)MgO(4) nanoparticles at 950 degrees C. The sintering of these nanoparticles during high-temperature nitridation was prevented by mixing the Ga(2)MgO(4) precursor nanoparticles with La(2)O(3) as an inert matrix before the nitridation process. The Mg(2+)-doped GaN nanoparticles were isolated from the matrix by etching with 10 % nitric acid. The Mg(2+)-doped GaN nanoparticles were characterized by photoluminescence, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and IR analyses.

Sensitized emission from lanthanide-doped nanoparticles embedded in a semiconductor sol-gel thin film.

In(2)O(3) sol-gel thin films made with LaF(3):Ln(3+) (Ln=Er, Nd, and Eu) nanoparticles were prepared and showed sensitized emission of the lanthanide ions after In(2)O(3) matrix excitation. The excitation spectra showed an In(2)O(3) absorption band in addition to the excitation peaks of the lanthanide ions, clearly demonstrating that there is energy transfer from the In(2)O(3) matrix to Ln(3+) (Er(3+), Nd(3+), and Eu(3+)). Similarly, HfO(2) and ZrO(2) sol-gel thin films made with LaF(3):Ln(3+) nanoparticles also showed energy transfer from the semiconductor matrix to the lanthanide ions.

Colloidal nanoparticles of Ln3+-doped LaVO4: energy transfer to visible- and near-infrared-emitting lanthanide ions.

Colloidal, organic solvent-soluble Ln3+-doped LaVO4 nanoparticles have been synthesized by a precipitation reaction in the presence of (C18H37O)2PS2- as ligand, that coordinates to the surface of the nanoparticles. The materials are well soluble in chlorinated solvent such as chloroform. Energy transfer of excited vanadate groups has been observed for Ln3+ ions that emit in the visible and the near-infrared (Eu3+, Tm3+, Nd3+, Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+, Sm3+, Pr3+), thus making it a very generic sensitization mechanism. The LaVO4 nanoparticles have a different crystal structure than bulk LaVO4 ones (xenotime instead of monazite), similar to YVO4 nanoparticles. This xenotime crystal structure results in a more asymmetric crystal field around the Ln3+ ions that is advantageous to their luminescence, for it increases the radiative rate constant, thus reducing quenching processes.

Bright white light through up-conversion of a single NIR source from sol-gel-derived thin film made with Ln3+-doped LaF3 nanoparticles.

White light was generated from a single silica thin film made with Yb0.75La0.2Eu0.05F3, La0.45Yb0.5Er0.05F3, and La0.75Yb0.2Tm0.05F3 nanoparticles by exciting with a single source near-infrared light (980 nm CW diode laser). Eu3+ and Tm3+ ions are responsible for red and blue emission, respectively. Er3+ ion is responsible for green as well as red emission. The Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of the resulting light were easily adjusted by controlling the concentration of Ln3+ (Eu3+, Er3+, Tm3+) ions in the nanoparticles as well as the concentration of Ln3+-doped nanoparticles in the sol-gel thin layer.