Citric acid tuned negative thermal quenching of all inorganic copper-based perovskites

Copper-based perovskites, with lower electronic dimensions and high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY), which are non-toxic and thermally stable, have been reported since 2019 and have immediately attracted great attention. So far, only a few studies have researched the temperature-dependent photoluminescence properties, posing a challenge in ensuring the stability of the material. In this paper, the temperature-dependent photoluminescence properties have been investigated in detail, and a negative thermal quenching of all-inorganic CsCu₂I₃ perovskites has been studied. Moreover, the negative thermal quenching property can be tuned with the assistance of citric acid, which has not been reported before. The Huang-Rhys factors are calculated to be 46.32/38.31, which is higher than for many semiconductors and perovskites.

Hydrothermal synthesis and tunable up-conversion white luminescence properties of KSc(MoO4)2:Ln3+(Ln = Yb, Er, Tm and Ho) crystals

Pure hexagonal phase KSc(MoO₄)₂crystals with a hexagonal block shape were successfully synthesizedviaa one-step hydrothermal method.

Graphene Quantum Dots-Driven Multiform Morphologies of β-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ Phosphors: The Underlying Mechanism and Their Optical Properties

Dimension and shape tunable architectures of inorganic crystals are of extreme interest because of morphology-dependent modulation of the properties of the materials. Herein, for the first time, we present a novel impurity-driven strategy where we studied the influence of in situ incorporation of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) on the growth of β-NaYF₄:Gd³⁺/Tb³⁺ phosphor crystals via a hydrothermal route. The GQDs function as a nucleation site and by changing the concentration of GQDs, the morphology of β-NaYF₄:Gd³⁺/Tb³⁺ phosphors was changed from rod to flowerlike structure to disklike structure, without phase transformation. The influence of size and functionalization of GQDs on the size and shape of phosphor crystals were also systematically studied and discussed. Plausible mechanisms of formation of multiform morphologies are proposed based on the heterogeneous nucleation and growth. Most interestingly, the experimental results indicate that the photoluminescence properties of β-NaYF₄:Gd³⁺/Tb³⁺ phosphor crystals are strongly dependent on the crystallite size and morphology. This study would be suggestive for the precisely controlled growth of inorganic crystals; consequently, it will open new avenues and thus may possess potential applications in the field of materials and biological sciences.

Simultaneous quasi-one-dimensional propagation and tuning of upconversion luminescence through waveguide effect

Luminescence-based waveguide is widely investigated as a promising alternative to conquer the difficulties of efficiently coupling light into a waveguide. But applications have been still limited due to employing blue or ultraviolet light as excitation source with the lower penetration depth leading to a weak guided light. Here, we show a quasi-one-dimensional propagation of luminescence and then resulting in a strong luminescence output from the top end of a single NaYF₄:Yb³⁺/Er³⁺ microtube under near infrared light excitation. The mechanism of upconversion propagation, based on the optical waveguide effect accompanied with energy migration, is proposed. The efficiency of luminescence output is highly dependent on the concentration of dopant ions, excitation power, morphology, and crystallinity of tube as an indirect evidence of the existence of the optical actived waveguide effect. These findings provide the possibility for the construction of upconversion fiber laser.

Shape control of inorganic nanoparticles from solution

Inorganic materials with controllable shapes have been an intensely studied subject in nanoscience over the past decades. Control over novel and anisotropic shapes of inorganic nanomaterials differing from those of bulk materials leads to unique and tunable properties for widespread applications such as biomedicine, catalysis, fuels or solar cells and magnetic data storage. This review presents a comprehensive overview of shape-controlled inorganic nanomaterials via nucleation and growth theory and the control of experimental conditions (including supersaturation, temperature, surfactants and secondary nucleation), providing a brief account of the shape control of inorganic nanoparticles during wet-chemistry synthetic processes. Subsequently, typical mechanisms for shape-controlled inorganic nanoparticles and the general shape of the nanoparticles formed by each mechanism are also expounded. Furthermore, the differences between similar mechanisms for the shape control of inorganic nanoparticles are also clearly described. The authors envision that this review will provide valuable guidance on experimental conditions and process control for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles with tunable shapes in the solution state.

pH value manipulated phase transition, microstructure evolution and tunable upconversion luminescence in Yb3+–Er3+ codoped LiYF4/YF3 nanoparticles

The effects of pH value on the phase transition, microstructure evolution and upconversion properties were demonstrated in Yb³⁺–Er³⁺ codoped LiYF₄/YF₃ nanoparticles.

The synthesis and mechanism exploration of europium-doped LiYF4 micro-octahedron phosphors with multilevel interiors

Multi-layered hollow LiYF4:Eu(3+) micro-octahedrons, with about 400 nm of single-layer thickness and 300 nm of interlayer space, have been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route in the presence of surfactant ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). The mechanisms of the morphology evolution of the LiYF4:Eu micro-octahedrons are investigated in detail. Time-dependent experiments indicate that the growth of the micro-octahedrons undergoes four different stages including the aggregation growth of the primary YF3 particle, the transformation of the substance from the orthorhombic-phase YF3 to the tetragonal-phase LiYF4 by the Kirkendall effect with the inward diffusion of quasi-steady state LiF species, adsorption and in situ crystallization, and local Ostwald ripening. The Ostwald ripening process is terminated by the organic adsorption of interlaminar leading to a hollow structure with multilevel interiors. The LiYF4:Eu micro-octahedrons are annealed under the designed temperatures, which leads to the collapse of octahedral structures indicating the role of EDTA on building the octahedron. The spectral measurements show that the calcination approach has a stronger effect on the luminescence tuning of the LiYF4:Eu micro-octahedrons due to the modification of the crystal phase, structure and size. The present study is of great importance in the preparation of rare-earth ion doped LiYF4 hollow materials as well as in applications as building blocks for functional devices.

Rare-earth doped LaF3 hollow hexagonal nanoplates: hydrothermal synthesis and photoluminescence properties

The formation of fluoride NCs closely correlates with the pH and the basicity of the base employed to adjust the pH.