New microarchitectures of (Er,Yb):Lu2O3 nanocrystals embedded in PMMA: synthesis, structural characterization, and luminescent properties

Abstract

We report the formation of two-dimensional disordered arrays of poly(methyl)methacrylate (PMMA) microcolumns with embedded single size distribution of Lu0.990Er0.520Yb0.(490) nanocrystals, (Er,Yb):Lu2O3, using a disordered porous silicon template. The cubic (Er,Yb):Lu2O3 nanocrystals, which crystallize into the cubic system with Ia (3) over bar space group, were synthesized using the modified Pechini method. Electronic microscopic techniques were used to study the distribution of the nanocrystals in the PMMA columns. Cathodoluminescence was used to observe the visible luminescence of the particles. Red emission attributed to (4) F-9/2 -> I-4(15/2) erbium transition is predominant in these new composites