Near infrared (NIR) emitting LaF3:Ln3+(Ln3+→Nd3+, Er3+, Yb3+and Ho3+) singly doped nanoparticles (NPs), with an average size of 5 nm, have been synthesized using simple co-precipitation route. Nanoparticles were functionalized with oleic acid. FTIR spectra revealed the prescience of chemisorbed oleic acid on the surface of nanoparticles. 10 wt % of LaF3:Nd3+nanoparticles were incorporated into epoxy by solution mixing method. The LaF3:Nd3+-Epoxy Nanocomposites showed good transparency along with prominent NIR emissions at 880 nm, 1053 nm and 1330 nm on excitation at 575 nm.
The luminescence at the absorption maximum of c-Si solar cells (1002 nm) of Ytterbium (3+) ions (Yb 3+ ) make them a suitable candidate for solar spectrum converting material for c-Si solar cell. In this work oleic acid functionalized lanthanum fluoride (OA-LaF3) nanoparticles doped with Nd 3+ , Yb 3+ (2-5 nm) were synthesized by coprecipitation method in which Nd 3+ (Neodymium (3+) ions) acts as the sensitizer for Yb 3+ . The oleic acid chemisorption on LaF3 nanoparticles was confirmed by FTIR and TGA analysis. OA-LaF3: Nd 3+ Yb 3+ nanoparticles (Nd 3+ -10 mol%, Yb 3+ -0 to 20 mol% ) luminescent at 880 nm, 1053 nm, 1325 nm (Nd 3+ ions) and 1002 nm (Yb 3+ ions) was observed for excitation at 575 nm. The excitation spectra for the Yb 3+ emission from OA-LaF3: Nd 3+ Yb 3+ showed all the excitation peaks of Nd 3+ in the visible region. This confirmed the energy transfer from Nd 3+ to Yb 3+ ions. The increase in the Yb 3+ emission intensity at 1002 nm was observed as Yb 3+ dopant concentration increased from 0 to 5%. Above 5% of Yb 3+ doping concentration, Yb 3+ luminescence was observed to be decreasing, which was attributed to the concentration quenching.
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