Low Phonon Lanthanide Chelates for Molecular Upconversion

用于分子上转换的低声子镧系元素螯合物

• 批准号: 2906000
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Manchester
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2906000
• 关键词: Low; Phonon; Lanthanide; Chelates; Molecular

Photon upconversion (UC) is an increasingly attractive nonlinear multiphoton process that effectively converts near infra-red light into visible light using low photon fluxes via stepwise absorption, energy transfer and emission. Lanthanide ions (Ln3+) doped into nanoparticles (e.g. NaYF4) exhibit remarkable UC properties with many unrivalled applications in e.g. quantum sensing technologies, solar cells, IR quantum counters, anticounterfeiting technologies and biomedical imaging. Despite implementation in industrial applications, upconverting nanoparticles are limited in wider and future long-term use due to low quantum yields, Ln3+ ion migration, leading to loss of emission output, poor solubility, poor material processability, and challenging functionalization. Developing discrete molecules containing lanthanide ions providing UC processes in solution thus represents a very highly sought-after goal, but most of such molecules are restricted to self-assembled kinetically unstable systems and those that suffer from vibrational deactivation processes and hence require cryogenic temperatures to operate.To overcome these challenges, we propose to use and develop organic solvent soluble chelates that are solution processable and whose chemical structures possess low bond vibrational (phonon) energies. These based on incompletely condensed polyhedral silsesquioxane silica cages. Molecular up-conversion technologies will constitute a breakthrough within molecular imaging and should provide a platform to develop applications in optical device fabrication (including solar cells), analytical spectroscopy and biological imaging.In this project, the student will work in both synthetic chemistry and optical spectroscopy to:1. Develop discrete molecular low phonon-based lanthanide compounds capable of exhibiting efficient broadband UC emission from the near infra-red to the visible and UV. 2. Study the photophysical properties of the molecules using time-gated spectroscopy techniques for more sensitive and robust readout signals. 3. Explore photonic applications in optoelectronic, UC device and quantum technologies. EPSRC remit: Physical Sciences with applications in the quantum technologies and energy themes

光子上转换（UC）是一种越来越有吸引力的非线性多光子过程，它利用低光子通量，通过逐步吸收、能量转移和发射，有效地将近红外光转换为可见光。镧系离子（Ln3+）掺杂到纳米颗粒（如NaYF4）中表现出卓越的UC特性，在量子传感技术、太阳能电池、红外量子计数器、防伪技术和生物医学成像等领域具有许多无与伦比的应用。尽管在工业应用中实现了上转换纳米粒子，但由于低量子产率、Ln3+离子迁移、导致发射输出损失、溶解度差、材料可加工性差以及具有挑战性的功能化，上转换纳米粒子在更广泛和未来的长期使用中受到限制。因此，开发含有镧系离子的离散分子在溶液中提供UC过程是一个非常受欢迎的目标，但大多数这样的分子仅限于自组装动力学不稳定的系统和那些遭受振动失活过程的系统，因此需要低温操作。为了克服这些挑战，我们建议使用和开发有机溶剂可溶性螯合剂，这些螯合剂是溶液可加工的，其化学结构具有低键振动（声子）能量。这些基于不完全凝聚的多面体硅氧烷硅笼。分子上转换技术将构成分子成像领域的突破，并将为光学器件制造（包括太阳能电池）、分析光谱学和生物成像领域的应用开发提供平台。在这个项目中，学生将在合成化学和光谱学两个方面进行工作：1。开发离散分子低声基镧系化合物，能够展示从近红外到可见光和紫外的有效宽带UC发射。2. 使用时间门控光谱技术研究分子的光物理性质，以获得更灵敏和稳健的读出信号。3. 探索光子在光电、UC器件和量子技术中的应用。EPSRC的职权范围：物理科学与量子技术和能源主题的应用