Ionic liquid-based all-in-one synthesis and photoluminescence properties of lanthanide fluorides

A facile route to the synthesis of LnF(3) nanocrystals has been accomplished in three ionic liquids (ILs) (OmimPF(6), OmimBF(4), and BmimPF(6)). The partial hydrolysis of PF6- and BF4- was utilized to introduce a new fluoride source. Uniform LnF(3) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Er), Tb3+-doped CeF3, and Eu3+-doped LaF3 nanocrystals could be obtained in a large scale, and the products were up to 0.15 g per 10 mL solvents. In the all-in-one systems, the ILs acted as solvents, reaction agents, and templates. The effects of cosolvents, cationic and anionic parts of the ILs on the nanocrystals morphologies, and sizes were studied. The optical properties of the nanocrystals synthesized in different ILs were discussed. The simple and large-scale synthesis of these unique luminescent inorganic nanocrystals will find great potential applications in biolabels, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and redox luminescent switches.