Antithermal Quenching Upconversion Luminescence via Suppressed Multiphonon Relaxation in Positive/Negative Thermal Expansion Core/Shell NaYF<sub>4</sub>:Yb/Ho@ScF<sub>3</sub> Nanoparticles
Yilin Wang, Jiahui Rui, Hao Song, Ze Yuan, Xiaoqiao Huang, Jing‐yao Liu, Jie Zhou, Ce Li, Hui Wang, Shuaihao Wu, Ran Chen, Mingdi Yang, Qilong Gao, Xiaoji Xie, Xianran Xing, Ling Huang
Abstract
Thermal quenching (TQ) has been naturally entangling with luminescence since its discovery, and lattice vibration, which is characterized as multiphonon relaxation (MPR), plays a critical role. Considering that MPR may be suppressed under exterior pressure, we have designed a core/shell upconversion luminescence (UCL) system of α-NaYF 4:Yb/Ln@ScF 3 (Ln = Ho, Er, and Tm) with positive/negative thermal expansion behavior so that positive thermal expansion of the core will be restrained by negative thermal expansion of the shell when heated. This imposed pressure on the crystal lattice of the core suppresses MPR, reduces the amount of energy depleted by TQ, and eventually saves more energy for luminescing, so that anti-TQ or even thermally enhanced UCL is obtained.