Strong Single-Band Blue Emission from Colloidal Ce(3+) /Tm(3+) -Doped NaYF4 Nanocrystals for Light-Emitting Applications.

An intense single-band blue emission at λ=450 nm is observed from Tm(3+) ions through Ce(3+) sensitization, for the first time, in colloidal Ce(3+) /Tm(3+) -doped NaYF4 nanocrystals. The intense Tm(3+) emission through broad-band excitation is advantageous for developing luminescent nanocomposites because they can be easily incorporated into polymers. The composites can easily be coated over UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to develop phosphor-based blue LEDs.