Issue 25, 2024

Small but bright: origin of the enhanced luminescence of ultrasmall ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ in mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Abstract

Chromium(III)-doped zinc gallate (CZGO) is one of the representative persistent luminescent phosphors emitting in the near-infrared (NIR) region. The emission wavelength it covers falls in the tissue-transparent window, making CZGO a promising optical probe for various biomedical applications. The PersL mechanism dictates that such a phenomenon is only profound in large crystals, so the preparation of CZGO with sizes small enough for biological applications while maintaining its luminescence remains a challenging task. Recent attempts to use mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) as a template for growing nanosized CZGO have been successful. MSN is also a well-studied drug carrier, and incorporating CZGO in MSN further expands its potential in imaging-guided therapeutics. Despite the interest, it is unclear of how the addition of MSN would affect the luminescence properties of CZGO. In this work, we observed that forming a CZGO@MSN nanocomposite could enhance the luminescence intensity and extend the PersL lifetime of CZGO. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analysis was conducted to investigate the local structure of Zn2+, and an interaction between Zn2+ in CZGO and the MSN matrix was identified.

Graphical abstract: Small but bright: origin of the enhanced luminescence of ultrasmall ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ in mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Agd 2024
Accepted
09 Qas 2024
First published
10 Qas 2024

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2024,26, 17561-17568

Small but bright: origin of the enhanced luminescence of ultrasmall ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ in mesoporous silica nanoparticles

W. Shiu, V. Yoo, Y. Liu, L. Chang, T. Azizivahed, Y. Huang, P. J. Ragogna and L. Liu, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2024, 26, 17561 DOI: 10.1039/D4CP01775G

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