All near-infrared multiparametric luminescence thermometry using Er3+, Yb3+-doped YAG nanoparticles

Manuscript published in the Open Access Journal:

Jovana Periša, Zoran Ristić, Wojciech Piotrowski, Željka Antić, Lukasz Marciniak and Miroslav D. Dramićanin

All near-infrared multiparametric luminescence thermometry using Er3+, Yb3+-doped YAG nanoparticles

RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 15933

doi:10.1039/d1ra01647d

This paper presents four new temperature readout approaches to luminescence nanothermometry in spectral regions of biological transparency demonstrated on Yb³⁺/Er³⁺-doped yttrium aluminum garnet nanoparticles. Under the 10638 cm^-1 excitation, down-shifting near infrared emissions (> 10000 cm^-1) are identified as those originating from Yb³⁺ ions’ ²F_5/2➝²F_7/2 (~ 9709 cm^-1) and Er³⁺ ions’ ⁴I_13/2➝⁴I_15/2 (~6494 cm^-1) electronic transitions and used for 4 conceptually different luminescence thermometry. Observed variations in luminescence parameters with temperature offered an exceptional base for studying multiparametric temperature readouts. These include the temperature-dependence of: (i) intensity ratio between emissions from Stark components of Er^3+ 4I_13/2 level; (ii) intensity ratio between emissions of Yb³⁺ (²F_5/2➝²F_7/2 transition) and Er³⁺ (⁴I_13/2➝⁴I_15/2 transition); (iii) band shift and bandwidth and (iv) lifetime of the Yb³⁺ emission (²F_5/2➝²F_7/2 transition) with maximal sensitivities of 1 %K^-1, 0.8 %K^-1, 0.09 cm^-1K^-1, 0.46 %K^-1 and 0.86 %K^-1, respectively. The multimodal temperature readout provided by this material enables its application in different luminescence thermometry setups as well as improved the reliability of the temperature sensing by the cross-validation between measurements.