Uniform Cerium-Based Coordination Polymer Microspheres: Preparation and Upconversion Emission

Abstract

Homogeneously doped Yb3+ and Er3+ cerium-based coordination polymer (CP) microspheres have been successfully synthesized on a large scale through a simple solvothermal route with 2, 5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (2, 5-H2PDC) as the organic linker. CeO2:Yb3+, Er3+ porous microspheres were obtained by annealing the corresponding CP microspheres at 600 °C for 4 h under atmospheric pressure. These as-prepared products were characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersion X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric (TG) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) analysis. The room temperature upconversion luminescent spectra of the as-prepared microspheres were carried out by 980 nm NIR light excitation. Interestingly, Yb3+ and Er3+ codoped CP microspheres give a single-band emission centered at 673 nm, while the CeO2:Yb3+, Er3+ microspheres give emission in green and red region, with red being the dominant emission. The emission intensity of the CeO2:Yb3+, Er3+ microspheres were much stronger than that of the Yb3+ and Er3+ codoped CP microspheres.