Monodisperse Mesocrystals of YF3 and Ce3+/Ln3+ (Ln=Tb,Eu) Co‐Activated YF3: Shape Control Synthesis,Luminescent Properties,and Biocompatibility

A family of monodisperse YF₃, YF₃:Ce³⁺ and YF₃:Ce³⁺/Ln³⁺ (Ln=Tb, Eu) mesocrystals with a morphology of a hollow spindle can be synthesized by a solvothermal process using yttrium nitrate and NH₄F as precursors. The effects of reaction time, fluorine source, solvents, and reaction temperature on the synthesis of these mesocrystals have been studied in detail. The results demonstrate that the formation of a hollow spindle‐like YF₃ can be ascribed to a nonclassical crystallization process by means of a particle‐based reaction route in ethanol. It has been shown that the fluorine sources selected have a remarkable effect on the morphologies and crystalline phases of the final products. Moreover, the luminescent properties of Ln³⁺‐doped and Ce³⁺/Ln³⁺‐co‐doped spindle‐like YF₃ mesocrystals were also investigated. It turns out that Ce³⁺ is an efficient sensitizer for Ln³⁺ in the spindle‐like YF₃ mesocrystals. Remarkable fluorescence enhancement was observed in Ce³⁺/Ln³⁺‐co‐doped YF₃ mesocrystals. The mechanism of the energy transfer and electronic transition between Ce³⁺ and Ln³⁺ in the host material of YF₃ mesocrystals was also explored. The cytotoxicity study revealed that these YF₃‐based nanocrystals are biocompatible for applications, such as cellular imaging.