Synthesis of water-soluble luminescent LaVO4:Ln3+ porous nanoparticles

Water-soluble luminescent Eu3+ and Tb3+-doped LaVO4 porous nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission-transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV/Vis absorption, and photoluminescence spectroscopic techniques were employed to characterize the structure and morphology of as-prepared products. The results of the XRD confirm the formation of well-crystallized LaVO4 phase with a tetragonal zircon structure. The TEM images illustrate that the as-formed Eu3+ and Tb3+-doped LaVO4 nanoparticles have irregular spherical shape, hairy nanoporous structures with an average particle size 50–130 nm. These nanoparticles were well-dispersed in polar and non-polar organic solvents to form clear colloidal solutions. The colloidal solutions of Eu3+ and Tb3+-doped zircon-type LaVO4 nanoparticles show the most dominant characteristic emissions (hypersensitive transitions) of Eu3+ at 615 nm (5D0 → 7F2) and Tb3+ at 543 nm (5D4 → 7F5), respectively, as the result of an energy transfer from the VO43− to luminescent metal ions activators. Compared with other-shape nanocrystals, the luminescence intensity of the irregular hairy spherical porous-like nanoparticles are obviously enhanced. It therefore, suggests that we could obtain function-improved materials by tailoring the size and shape of the LaVO4:Ln3+ nanostructures that are very suitable for use in biological applications, such as protein-labeling, drug delivery, and fluorescent bioprobes.