Facile Synthesis of Cubic Magnetic Up-Conversion Nanoparticles

Efficient methods for fabricating multifunctional nanoparticles can expand the range of their applications in biomedicine. Therefore, in this study, a mild synthesis method for cubic magnetic up-conversion nanoparticles (MUCNPs) was explored. The MUCNPs were prepared at 160 °C and exhibited fluorescence when irradiated using a 915 nm wavelength laser along with magnetic properties. The MUCNPs exhibited higher intensity of fluorescence than UCNPs without any addition of magnetic nanoparticles. Moreover, MUNCPs exhibiting fluorescence with three different colors, namely green, yellow, and blue were successfully prepared using different Yb:Er ratios and by replacing Er with Tm; these nanoparticles can be useful for biomedical applications such as in therapies involving single nanosystems.