Synthesis of Multicolor Core/Shell NaLuF(4):Yb(3+)/Ln(3+)@CaF(2) Upconversion Nanocrystals

The ability to synthesize high-quality hierarchical core/shell nanocrystals from an efficient host lattice is important to realize efficacious photon upconversion for applications ranging from bioimaging to solar cells. Here, we describe a strategy to fabricate multicolor core @ shell α-NaLuF(4):Yb(3+)/Ln(3+)@CaF(2) (Ln = Er, Ho, Tm) upconversion nanocrystals (UCNCs) based on the newly established host lattice of sodium lutetium fluoride (NaLuF(4)). We exploited the liquid-solid-solution method to synthesize the NaLuF(4) core of pure cubic phase and the thermal decomposition approach to expitaxially grow the calcium fluoride (CaF(2)) shell onto the core UCNCs, yielding cubic core/shell nanocrystals with a size of 15.6 ± 1.2 nm (the core ~9 ± 0.9 nm, the shell ~3.3 ± 0.3 nm). We showed that those core/shell UCNCs could emit activator-defined multicolor emissions up to about 772 times more efficient than the core nanocrystals due to effective suppression of surface-related quenching effects. Our results provide a new paradigm on heterogeneous core/shell structure for enhanced multicolor upconversion photoluminescence from colloidal nanocrystals.