Perovskite KMnF3 nanocubes: cationic commingling for technological relevance

Abstract

Owing to its interesting geometry and electronic structure, KMnF₃ perovskite is positioned as a potential next-generation material and has garnered remarkable attention. In particular, its potential towards multimodal imaging (magnetic centre and exclusive red band emission centre) has made KMnF₃-up-converted nanomaterials captivating. The present work reports a cationic commingling at the B-site of KMnF₃ for exploring the possibility of multimodal imaging. A finely controlled synthesis of KMnF₃:Er/Yb nanocubes is achieved using a microwave (MW)-assisted method in an ionic liquid (IL), followed by detailed characterization (XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, up-conversion measurements, and magnetic properties). By varying the Yb–Er concentrations, the optimum content of Yb/Er is established, which achieves intense and exclusive red emissions. These KMnF₃:Er/Yb nanocubes not only exhibit single-band red emission but also simultaneously display room-temperature paramagnetic behaviour. As a next-stage improvisation, the use of Co²⁺ as a paramagnetic impurity at the B-site in KMnF₃:Er/Yb nanocubes is explored, and the result reveals that the red emission decreases along with the appearance of room-temperature weak ferromagnetism. In summary, cationic commingling performed in KMnF₃ will assist in the development of future multimodal imaging materials.