Enhancing NIR-II Upconversion Monochromatic Emission for Temperature Sensing

The upconversion luminescence (UCL) in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II) is highly attractive due to its excellent performance in high-resolution bioimaging, anticounterfeiting, and temperature sensing. However, upconvertion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are normally emitted in visible light, potentially impacting the imaging quality. Here, a monochromatic Er³⁺-rich (NaErF₄:x%Yb@NaYF₄) nanoparticles with excitation at 1532 nm and emission at 978 nm is proposed, both situated in the NIR-II region. The proper proportion of Yb³⁺ ions doping has a positive effect on the NIR-II emission, by enhancing the cross relaxation efficiency and accelerating the energy transfer rate. Owing to the interaction between the Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ is inhibited at low temperatures, the UCL emission intensities at visible and NIR-II regions show opposite trend with temperature changing, which establishes a fitting formula to derive temperature from the luminous intensity ratio, promoting the potential application of UCL in NIR-II regions for the temperature sensing.