| Records |
| Author |
Arteaga Cardona, F.; Jain, N.; Popescu, R.; Busko, D.; Madirov, E.; Arús, B.A.; Gerthsen, D.; De Backer, A.; Bals, S.; Bruns, O.T.; Chmyrov, A.; Van Aert, S.; Richards, B.S.; Hudry, D. |
| Title |
Preventing cation intermixing enables 50% quantum yield in sub-15 nm short-wave infrared-emitting rare-earth based core-shell nanocrystals |
Type |
A1 Journal Article |
Year  |
2023 |
Publication |
Nature communications |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nat Commun |
| Volume |
14 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
4462 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
| Abstract |
Short-wave infrared (SWIR) fluorescence could become the new gold standard in optical imaging for biomedical applications due to important advantages such as lack of autofluorescence, weak photon absorption by blood and tissues, and reduced photon scattering coefficient. Therefore, contrary to the visible and NIR regions, tissues become translucent in the SWIR region. Nevertheless, the lack of bright and biocompatible probes is a key challenge that must be overcome to unlock the full potential of SWIR fluorescence. Although rare-earth-based core-shell nanocrystals appeared as promising SWIR probes, they suffer from limited photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The lack of control over the atomic scale organization of such complex materials is one of the main barriers limiting their optical performance. Here, the growth of either homogeneous (α-NaYF<sub>4</sub>) or heterogeneous (CaF<sub>2</sub>) shell domains on optically-active α-NaYF<sub>4</sub>:Yb:Er (with and without Ce<sup>3+</sup>co-doping) core nanocrystals is reported. The atomic scale organization can be controlled by preventing cation intermixing only in heterogeneous core-shell nanocrystals with a dramatic impact on the PLQY. The latter reached 50% at 60 mW/cm<sup>2</sup>; one of the highest reported PLQY values for sub-15 nm nanocrystals. The most efficient nanocrystals were utilized for in vivo imaging above 1450 nm. |
| Address |
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| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
|
| Language |
|
Wos |
001037058500022 |
Publication Date |
2023-07-25 |
| Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
| Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
| ISSN |
2041-1723 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
16.6 |
Times cited |
1 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
D.H. would like to thank Dominique Ectors (Bruker AXS GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany) for assistance and discussion on the PXRD data and TOPAS evaluations. The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Helmholtz Association via: i) the Professorial Recruitment Initiative Funding (B.S.R.); ii) the Research Field Energy – Program Materials and Technologies for the Energy Transition – Topic 1 Photovoltaics (F.A.C., D.B., E.M., B.S.R., D.H.). This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 innovation programme under grant agreement 823717. This work was supported by the European Research Council (grant 770887-PICOMETRICS to S.V.A. and Grant 815128-REALNANO to S.B.). The authors acknowledge financial support from the ResearchFoundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through project fundings (G.0346.21 N to S.V.A. and S.B.) and a postdoctoral grant (A.D.B.). The authors (B.A.A., O.T.B. and A.C.) acknowledge funding from the Helmholtz Zentrum München, the DFG-Emmy Noether program (BR 5355/2-1) and from the CZI Deep Tissue Imaging (DTI-0000000248). The authors (O.T.B. and D.H.) would like to thank the Helmholtz Imaging (ZT-I-PF-4-038-BENIGN). |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 16.6; 2023 IF: 12.124 |
| Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:198158 |
Serial |
8808 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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| Author |
Hudry, D.; De Backer, A.; Popescu, R.; Busko, D.; Howard, I.A.; Bals, S.; Zhang, Y.; Pedrazo‐Tardajos, A.; Van Aert, S.; Gerthsen, D.; Altantzis, T.; Richards, B.S. |
| Title |
Interface Pattern Engineering in Core‐Shell Upconverting Nanocrystals: Shedding Light on Critical Parameters and Consequences for the Photoluminescence Properties |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| Year |
2021 |
Publication |
Small |
Abbreviated Journal |
Small |
| Volume |
|
Issue |
|
Pages |
2104441 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT) |
| Abstract |
Advances in controlling energy migration pathways in core-shell lanthanide (Ln)-based hetero-nanocrystals (HNCs) have relied heavily on assumptions about how optically active centers are distributed within individual HNCs. In this article, it is demonstrated that different types of interface patterns can be formed depending on shell growth conditions. Such interface patterns are not only identified but also characterized with spatial resolution ranging from the nanometer- to the atomic-scale. In the most favorable cases, atomic-scale resolved maps of individual particles are obtained. It is also demonstrated that, for the same type of core-shell architecture, the interface pattern can be engineered with thicknesses of just 1 nm up to several tens of nanometers. Total alloying between the core and shell domains is also possible when using ultra-small particles as seeds. Finally, with different types of interface patterns (same architecture and chemical composition of the core and shell domains) it is possible to modify the output color (yellow, red, and green-yellow) or change (improvement or degradation) the absolute upconversion quantum yield. The results presented in this article introduce an important paradigm shift and pave the way toward the emergence of a new generation of core-shell Ln-based HNCs with better control over their atomic-scale organization. |
| Address |
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| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
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Wos |
000710758000001 |
Publication Date |
2021-10-25 |
| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
|
| ISSN |
1613-6810 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
8.643 |
Times cited |
17 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Helmholtz Recruitment Initiative Fellowship (B.S.R.) and the Helmholtz Association's Research Field Energy (Materials and Technologies for the Energy Transition program, Topic 1 Photovoltaics and Wind Energy). The authors would like to thank the Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF) for STEM access. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant agreement no. 770887 PICOMETRICS to S.V.A. and Grant agreement no. 815128 REALNANO to S.B.). The authors acknowledge financial support from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO, Belgium) through Projects no. G.0502.18N, G.0267.18N, and a postdoctoral grant to A.D.B. T.A. acknowledges funding from the University of Antwerp Research fund (BOF). This project had received funding (EUSMI proposal #E181100205) from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant agreement no 731019 (EUSMI). D.H. would like to thank “CGFigures” for helpful tutorials on 3D graphics with Blender.; sygmaSB |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 8.643 |
| Call Number |
EMAT @ emat @c:irua:183285 |
Serial |
6817 |
| Permanent link to this record |
