M²⁺ doping induced simultaneous phase/size control and remarkable enhanced upconversion luminescence of NaLnF4 probes for optical-guided tiny tumor diagnosis

Abstract

Doping has played a vital role in constructing desirable hybrid materials with tunable functions and properties via incorporating atoms into host matrix. Herein, a simple strategy for simultaneously modifying the phase, size, and upconversion luminescence (UCL) properties of the NaLnF₄ (Ln = Y, Yb) nanocrystals by high-temperature coprecipitation through nonequivalent M²⁺ doping (M = Mg²⁺, Co²⁺) has been demonstrated. The phase transformation from cubic to hexagonal is readily achieved by doping M²⁺. Compared with Mg-free sample, a remarkable enhancement of overall UCL (≈27.5 times) is obtained by doping Mg²⁺. Interestingly, owing to the efficient UCL, red UCL-guided tiny tumor (down to 3 mm) diagnosis is demonstrated for the first time. The results open up a new way of designing high efficient UCL probe with combination of hexagonal phase and small size for tiny tumor detection.