Synthesis and Optical Properties of KYF₄/Yb, Er Nanocrystals, and their Surface Modification with Undoped KYF₄

Abstract KYF 4 /Yb 3+ , Er 3+ nanocrystals with a mean diameter of approximately 13 nm were synthesized at 200 °C in the high boiling organic solvent N ‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine (HEEDA). The particles crystallize in the cubic phase known from α ‐NaYF 4 and form transparent colloidal solutions in tetraethylene glycol (TEG) or propanol. Solutions containing 1 wt % of the nanocrystals in TEG display visible upconversion emission upon continuous wave (CW) excitation at 978 nm. Growing undoped KYF 4 on the surface of the KYF 4 /Yb 3+ , Er 3+ nanocrystals increases the upconversion efficiency by more than a factor of 20. The XRD data of these particles, display a slight increase in the mean particle size from 13 to 15.5 nm, indicating that only a part of the subsequently added KYF 4 shell material is deposited onto the particle surface. Nevertheless the performed surface modification obviously leads to core/shell structured particles.