Development of novel upconversion luminescent nanoparticle of Ytterbium/Thulium-doped beta tricalcium phosphate

A novel class of upconversion luminescent nanocrystals of Yb/Tm:calcium deficient hydroxyapatite were synthesized by co-precipitation method in aqueous solution (pH adjusted to 6) and specially heat-treated with microwave radiation at different temperatures (from 900 °C to 1000 °C) and times (2-10 min) to produce small nanocrystals of Yb/Tm:β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP). As a result, we report for the first time, a single-phase Yb/Tm-doped β-TCP nanocrystals with a mean crystallite size of 55.3 nm. This material has an efficient visible luminescence from the 1G4 (blue emission) and 3F2 (red emission) and near infrared emission from the 3H4 excited states of Tm3+ induced by the Yb3+→Tm3+ energy transfer under laser excitation (Yb3+) at 972 nm. This β-TCP activated by Yb3+ and Tm3+ ions constitutes a new nano-fluoroprobe that can be used as optical contrast agents, affording high resolution and sensitivity for visible-near infrared applications.