Ytterbium, thulium (Yb3+ ,Tm3+ ) co-doped β-NaYF4 upconversion nanocrystals (U-NCs) were synthesized by a convenient hydrothermal method using sodium citrate as a capping agent. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that NCs phase structures were dependent on reaction time. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that the morphology of U-NCs could be controlled by adjusting the concentration of sodium citrate added in the hydrothermal reaction. Moreover, the emission spectra of the U-NCs were investigated to evaluate upconversion efficiency. Strong luminescence intensity of the U-NCs was observed after tuned with optimized concentration of sodium citrate. Furthermore, the U-NCs were incubated with MCF-7 cells at 37°C for 24 h. Under irradiation of a 980 nm laser, the upconversion blue emission of the NCs in MCF-7 cells can be clearly observed through a confocal microscope with an upconversion imaging system and high quality upconversion luminescence images can be acquired. Thus, prepared β-NaYF4 :Yb3+ ,Tm3+ NCs provide us with highly efficient luminescent probes which can be applied for diverse bio-applications.
Keywords: Tm3+ nanocrystals; controllable morphology; hydrothermal method; upconversion luminescence; β-NaYF4:Yb3 +.
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