Microwave-assisted synthesis of water-soluble YF3 and YF3:Ln3+ nanocrystals

Water-soluble YF3 and lanthanide-doped YF3 nanocrystals have been prepared employing a simple microwave-assisted approach carried out in ethanol solution in 15 min. The obtained nanocrystals are ascribed to orthorhombic structure YF3. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results demonstrate that the as-prepared nanocrystals are with diameters of about 6–10 nm and these nanoparticles aggregate to form bigger assemblies with diameters of about 40–60 nm. Results demonstrate that the as-prepared YF3 nanocrystals can well disperse in water, forming a stable and transparent colloidal solution. Water-soluble Ce3+, Tb3+ and Eu3+ doped YF3 nanocrystals have also been prepared and their photoluminescence properties have been investigated. Results show that the luminescence lifetime of the Eu3+ doped YF3 powder sample and solution sample is 8.6 and 6.8 ms, respectively. Due to the long decay time of the products, it has potential application in biolabeling and many other applications may be found.