Lanthanide-Doped NaGdF₄ Nanoparticles as Versatile Luminescent Labels for Cathodoluminescence Mapping

authored by: Jörgen Jungclaus, Bogdan Semenenko, Florian Meierhofer, Barbara Szafranski, Georg Garnweitner, Tobias Voss
Abstract: A water-based synthesis for lanthanide-doped NaGdF₄ nanoparticles is presented, yielding nanoparticles that emit robust and efficient luminescence when excited with an electron beam (cathodoluminescence). Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the as-fabricated nanoparticles exhibit a spherical shape with diameters ranging from 100–200 nm, accompanied by a granular surface structure. Powder X-ray diffraction confirms that the as-prepared product particles are highly crystalline and possess a hexagonal-phase pure structure with average crystal sizes of ≈5 nm for the (100) plane. The presence of sodium, gadolinium, fluorine, and europium/terbium dopants has been verified by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The elemental ratios demonstrate a high degree of similarity to the stoichiometric ratios of the initial precursor solutions. Incorporating europium or thulium dopants leads to distinctive spectral characteristics in the cathodoluminescence spectra, manifesting in red or blue spectral emission lines, respectively. From a mixture of the differently doped nanoparticles, the type of doping could be clearly identified for individual particles, and sufficient stability is proven to enable multiple consecutive measurements. As the synthesized nanoparticles are moreover hydrophilic and compatible with aqueous media, they offer high promise for cathodoluminescence mapping of organic or biological samples, enabling precise labeling with distinct and stable spectral signatures.
External Organisation(s): Technische Universität Braunschweig
Type: Article
Journal: Physica Status Solidi (B): Basic Research
ISSN: 0370-1972
Publication date: 02.12.2025
Publication status: Accepted/In press
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, Condensed Matter Physics
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1002/pssb.202500454 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{378703fc61ab4d1d9527116e8e091c15,
title = "Lanthanide-Doped NaGdF4 Nanoparticles as Versatile Luminescent Labels for Cathodoluminescence Mapping",
abstract = "A water-based synthesis for lanthanide-doped NaGdF4 nanoparticles is presented, yielding nanoparticles that emit robust and efficient luminescence when excited with an electron beam (cathodoluminescence). Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the as-fabricated nanoparticles exhibit a spherical shape with diameters ranging from 100–200 nm, accompanied by a granular surface structure. Powder X-ray diffraction confirms that the as-prepared product particles are highly crystalline and possess a hexagonal-phase pure structure with average crystal sizes of ≈5 nm for the (100) plane. The presence of sodium, gadolinium, fluorine, and europium/terbium dopants has been verified by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The elemental ratios demonstrate a high degree of similarity to the stoichiometric ratios of the initial precursor solutions. Incorporating europium or thulium dopants leads to distinctive spectral characteristics in the cathodoluminescence spectra, manifesting in red or blue spectral emission lines, respectively. From a mixture of the differently doped nanoparticles, the type of doping could be clearly identified for individual particles, and sufficient stability is proven to enable multiple consecutive measurements. As the synthesized nanoparticles are moreover hydrophilic and compatible with aqueous media, they offer high promise for cathodoluminescence mapping of organic or biological samples, enabling precise labeling with distinct and stable spectral signatures.",
keywords = "aqueous synthesis, cathodoluminescence, luminescence labeling, nanoparticles, rare-earth doping",
author = "J{\"o}rgen Jungclaus and Bogdan Semenenko and Florian Meierhofer and Barbara Szafranski and Georg Garnweitner and Tobias Voss",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s). physica status solidi (b) basic solid state physics published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.",
year = "2025",
month = dec,
day = "2",
doi = "10.1002/pssb.202500454",
language = "English",
journal = "Physica Status Solidi (B): Basic Research",
issn = "0370-1972",
publisher = "John Wiley and Sons Inc.",
}

Lanthanide-Doped NaGdF4 Nanoparticles as Versatile Luminescent Labels for Cathodoluminescence Mapping

Lanthanide-Doped NaGdF₄ Nanoparticles as Versatile Luminescent Labels for Cathodoluminescence Mapping