Benefiting from near-infrared persistent luminescence, chromium-doped zinc gallate nanoparticles have become appealing for background-free biomedical imaging applications, where autofluorescence from adjacent tissues no longer poses a problem. Nevertheless, the synthesis of persistent luminescent nanoparticles with controllable and biologically appropriate size, high luminescence intensity, and long persistent duration remains very challenging. Herein, we report a solvothermal synthetic route for preparing differently sized ZnGa2O4:Cr nanoparticles with a particle size tunable from 4 to 31 nm and afterglow duration longer than 20 h. The route involves lower reaction temperatures and involves no reworking of the particles postsynthesis, providing materials that have far fewer unwanted defects and much higher luminescence yields (up to 51%). It was found that methanol played a paramount role in obtaining the Cr3+-doped ZnGa2O4 nanoparticles. The effects of methanol were discussed in combination with NMR spectroscopy studies and theoretical calculations, and the underlying alcohol-mediated growth and doping mechanisms were elucidated, which will be beneficial for developing highly persistent luminescent nanoparticles.
Keywords: alcohol-mediated pyrolysis; chromium doping; methanol; persistent luminescence; size tunability.