Integration of β-NaYF4 Upconversion Nanoparticles into Polymers for Polymer Optical Fiber Applications

Producing active polymer optical fibers (POFs) is a key step towards new applications such as fluorescent fiber solar concentrators (FFSCs), sensors, contactless coupling devices, or fiber integrated light sources and lasers. Therefore, integration of fluorescent nanoparticles into the polymer matrix is necessary and becomes accessible via in situ polymerization. For optical applications, the polymer has to fulfill various requirements such as chemical and physical stability, optical transparency in the application-relevant spectral region as well as a good synthetic accessibility. A common material for these is poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The β-phase NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) were synthesized from the rare earth salts via thermal decomposition method in high-boiling point solvent 1-octadecene and capping agent oleic acid. Current results show hazy samples of the polymer with integrated nanoparticles made from monomer solution of methyl methacrylate. However, further optical tuning such as increasing the transparency of the bulk samples by changing the monomer solution to non-polar n-butyl methacrylate (nButMA) or cyclohexyl methacrylate (CHMA) or further optimization of the UCNP shell could lead to more suitable polymer bulk samples.

[1]  Klavs F. Jensen,et al.  Full Color Emission from II–VI Semiconductor Quantum Dot–Polymer Composites , 2000 .

[2]  Gotzon Aldabaldetreku,et al.  Optical Fiber Sensors for Aircraft Structural Health Monitoring , 2015, Sensors.

[3]  Horacio Lamela,et al.  High-sensitivity ultrasound interferometric single-mode polymer optical fiber sensors for biomedical applications. , 2009, Optics letters.

[4]  C. S. Lim,et al.  Simultaneous phase and size control of upconversion nanocrystals through lanthanide doping , 2010, Nature.

[5]  Tymish Y. Ohulchanskyy,et al.  Combined Optical and MR Bioimaging Using Rare Earth Ion Doped NaYF4 Nanocrystals , 2009 .

[6]  One-Step Synthesis of High-Quality Gradient CdHgTe Nanocrystals: A Prerequisite to Prepare CdHgTe−Polymer Bulk Composites with Intense Near-Infrared Photoluminescence , 2008 .

[7]  Qing Peng,et al.  Fluorescence resonant energy transfer biosensor based on upconversion-luminescent nanoparticles. , 2005, Angewandte Chemie.

[8]  Ph. André,et al.  Plastic Optical Fiber Sensor for Noninvasive Arterial Pulse Waveform Monitoring , 2015 .

[9]  Wolfgang Kowalsky,et al.  High performance fluorescent fiber solar concentrators employing double‐doped polymer optical fibers , 2018 .

[10]  N. J. Johnson,et al.  Upconverting Lanthanide-Doped NaYF4−PMMA Polymer Composites Prepared by in Situ Polymerization , 2009 .

[11]  Markus P. Hehlen,et al.  Hexagonal Sodium Yttrium Fluoride Based Green and Blue Emitting Upconversion Phosphors , 2004 .

[12]  Wolfgang Kowalsky,et al.  Methacrylate-Based Copolymers for Polymer Optical Fibers , 2017, Polymers.

[13]  Taeghwan Hyeon,et al.  Nonblinking and Nonbleaching Upconverting Nanoparticles as an Optical Imaging Nanoprobe and T1 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent , 2009 .

[14]  M. Haase,et al.  Blue, green, and red upconversion emission from lanthanide-doped LuPO4 and YbPO4 nanocrystals in a transparent colloidal solution. , 2003, Angewandte Chemie.

[15]  Shan Jiang,et al.  Multicolor Core/Shell‐Structured Upconversion Fluorescent Nanoparticles , 2008 .