One-Pot Solvothermal Synthesis of Highly Emissive, Sodium-Codoped, LaF₃ and BaLaF₅ Core-Shell Upconverting Nanocrystals.

We report a one-pot solvothermal synthesis of sub-10 nm, dominant ultraviolet (UV) emissive upconverting nanocrystals (UCNCs), based on sodium-codoped LaF₃ and BaLaF₅ (0.5%Tm; 20%Yb) and their corresponding core@shell derivatives. Elemental analysis shows a Na-codopant in these crystal systems of ~20% the total cation content; X-ray diffraction (XRD) data indicate a shift in unit cell dimensions consistent with these small codopant ions. Similarly, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis reveals primarily substitution of Na⁺ for La ions (97% of total Na⁺ codopant) in the crystal system, and interstitial Na⁺ (3% of detected Na⁺) and La (3% of detected La) present in (Na)LaF₃ and only direct substitution of Na⁺ for Ba in Ba(Na)LaF₅. In each case, XPS analysis of La 3d lines show a decrease in binding energy (0.08-0.25 eV) indicating a reduction in local crystal field symmetry surrounding rare earth (R.E.) ions, permitting otherwise disallowed R.E. UC transitions to be enhanced. Studies that examine the impact of laser excitation power upon luminescence intensity were conducted over 2.5-100 W/cm² range to elucidate UC mechanisms that populate dominant UV emitting states. Low power saturation of Tm ³F₃ and ³H₄ states was observed and noted as a key initial condition for effective population of the ¹D₂ and ¹I₆ UV emitting states, via Tm-Tm cross-relaxation.