@article{LopezdeGuerenuKurganovaKlierHaubitzetal.2022, author = {L{\´o}pez de Guere{\~n}u Kurganova, Anna and Klier, Dennis Tobias and Haubitz, Toni and Kumke, Michael Uwe}, title = {Influence of Gd3+ doping concentration on the properties of Na(Y,Gd)F-4}, series = {Photochemical \& photobiological sciences / European Society for Photobiology}, volume = {21}, journal = {Photochemical \& photobiological sciences / European Society for Photobiology}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1474-905X}, doi = {10.1007/s43630-021-00161-4}, pages = {235 -- 245}, year = {2022}, abstract = {We present a systematic study on the properties of Na(Y,Gd)F-4-based upconverting nanoparticles (UCNP) doped with 18\% Yb3+, 2\% Tm3+, and the influence of Gd3+ (10-50 mol\% Gd3+). UCNP were synthesized via the solvothermal method and had a range of diameters within 13 and 50 nm. Structural and photophysical changes were monitored for the UCNP samples after a 24-month incubation period in dry phase and further redispersion. Structural characterization was performed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as dynamic light scattering (DLS), and the upconversion luminescence (UCL) studies were executed at various temperatures (from 4 to 295 K) using time-resolved and steady-state spectroscopy. An increase in the hexagonal lattice phase with the increase of Gd3+ content was found, although the cubic phase was prevalent in most samples. The Tm3+-luminescence intensity as well as the Tm3+-luminescence decay times peaked at the Gd3+ concentration of 30 mol\%. Although the general upconverting luminescence properties of the nanoparticles were preserved, the 24-month incubation period lead to irreversible agglomeration of the UCNP and changes in luminescence band ratios and lifetimes.}, language = {en} }