No abstract

It is generally accepted that a lanthanide ions based upconversion material follows an activator low doping strategy (normally <3 mol%), because of the restriction of the harmful concentration quenching effect. Here, we demonstrate that this limitation can be broken in nanostructures. Simply by using an inert shell coating strategy, the concentration quenching effect for the activator (Er) could be eliminated and highly efficient upconversion luminescence realized in the activator fully doped nanostructure, e.g. NaErF@NaYF. More importantly, this novel nanostructure achieves some long-cherished desires, such as multiple-band co-excitation (∼800 nm, ∼980 nm and ∼1530 nm) and monochromic red emission. Proof-of-concept experiments are presented of the potential benefit of this structure in solar cells and anti-counterfeiting. This nanostructure offers new possibilities in realizing high upconversion emission and novel functionalities of lanthanide based nanomaterials.

The great application potential of triangular silver nanoprisms (TSNPRs, also referred to as triangular silver nanoplates) is hampered by the lack of methods to produce well-defined tips with high monodispersity, with easily removable ligands. In this work, a simple one-step plasmon-mediated method was developed to prepare monodisperse high-quality TSNPRs. In this approach, the sole surface capping agent was the easily removable trisodium citrate. Differing from common strategies using complex polymers, OH(-) ions were used to improve the monodispersity of silver seeds, as well as to control the growth process through inhibiting the oxidation of silver nanoparticles. Using these monodisperse high-quality TSNPRs as building blocks, self-assembled TSNPRs consisting of six-tip based "hot spots" were realized for the first time as demonstrated in a high enhancement (∼10(7)) of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). From the plasmon band shift versus the refractive index, ultra-high local surface plasmon resonance sensitivity (413 nm RIU(-1) or 1.24 eV RIU(-1), figure of merit (FOM) = 4.59) was reached at ∼630 nm, making these materials promising for chemical/biological sensing applications.