Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4535-6735

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

2025

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Chemistry

First Advisor

Chaoyang Jiang

Abstract

Inorganic luminescent materials are extensively used in anti-counterfeiting. However, their unauthorized replication remains a significant concern. Recently, lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have gained increasing interest as promising anti-counterfeit materials. While prior research has largely emphasized multicolor emissions in the visible spectrum, their near-infrared (NIR) capabilities are yet underutilized. In this work, we designed novel UCNPs that emit light in both visible and NIR regions from a single nanoparticle. By co-doping Yb³⁺, Er³⁺, and Tm³⁺ ions into a hexagonal NaYF4 matrix, emissions at 543 nm (green), 657 nm (red), and 802 nm (NIR) are achieved under 980 nm excitation. We found that adjusting Tm³⁺ concentration can modulate the intensity ratio between NIR and visible emissions, as well as overall green and red emissions. Power-dependent luminescence study confirms that the upconversion emission is a result of a biphotonic process. The intensity modulation is related to an energy transfer process between the dopants. Finally, the anti-counterfeiting application of these UCNPs is demonstrated via a multilevel security label, highlighting their potential as functional materials for advanced information encoding and counterfeit deterrence. ProQuest, Part of Clarivate About ETD Administrator Contact Us Manage Cookies Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Accessibility Copyright ©

Subject Categories

Chemistry

Keywords

Anticounterfeiting Lanthanide ion Multicolor luminescence Near-Infrared emission Tunable emission Upconversion nanoparticles

Number of Pages

83

Publisher

Uiversity of South Dakota

Available for download on Thursday, September 09, 2027

Included in

Chemistry Commons

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