Multifuctional Fe3O4@C/YVO4:Dy3+ nanopowers: Preparation, luminescence and magnetic properties

As-synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles were encapsulated with carbon layers through a simple hydrothermal process. Fe3O4/C nanoparticles were coated with YVO4:Dy3+ phosphors to form bifunctional Fe3O4@C@YVO4:Dy3+ composites. Their structure, luminescence and magnetic properties were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, PL spectra and VSM. The experimental results indicated that the as-prepared bifunctional composites displayed well-defined core–shell structures. The ∼12 nm diameter YVO4:Dy3+ shell exhibited tetragonal structure. Additionally, the composites exhibited a high saturation magnetization (13 emu/g) and excellent luminescence properties, indicating their promising potential as multifunctional biosensors for biomedical applications.