Where: Salón de Actos Edificio de Investigación II (NB0003CC)
Presented by: Prof. Beatriz Julian
The optical properties of lanthanide (Ln) ions make Ln-based materials attractive for applications ranging from biomedicine to optomagnetic, optoelectronic, and energy conversion technologies. Their unique electronic structure enables upconversion, i.e., the emission of UV-visible light under near-infrared (NIR) excitation. In addition, some Ln-based materials emit in the NIR under NIR excitation, operating entirely within the so-called NIR transparency window, which is particularly attractive for biomedical applications.
Sodium lanthanide fluorides (NaLnF4) are a well-established host material, and we have developed a microwave-assisted synthesis that enables control over crystal phase and particle size below 20 nm. With this fast and reliable synthetic route, we now explore different nanoparticle architectures and compositions to optimize optical and magnetic properties, with the aim of developing brighter emitters, biocompatible multimodal imaging probes, and nanoscale thermal sensors. In parallel, alternative host materials for upconverting Ln3+ dopants are being investigated, including new synthetic routes to lanthanide fluorides, oxyfluorides, and oxysulfides.
This presentation provides an overview of Ln-based materials with a focus on microwave-assisted synthesis and nanoparticle design for imaging and thermal sensing applications. In the context of thermal sensing, recent results on the cross-sensitivity of luminescence intensity ratios will be discussed, highlighting potential limitations and suggesting more reliable alternative strategies
