Ceria nanoparticles have been proved to be one of the most promising optical conversion host structures, due to its low-phonon nature and non-stoichiometric structure. In up-conversion, erbium has been extensively used as the main optical center for converting low-photon energy into higher ones. This paper studies the effect of introducing plasmonic nanostructure, such as gold, for enhancing the optical upconversion quantum yield efficiency of erbium-doped-ceria nanoparticles. The numerical results show that the efficiency experienced a significant enhancement as a result of existence of metal nanostructures. In addition, the temperature influence upon the nanocomposite is studied in detail. The numerical calculations show that the temperature change has a remarkable influence on the luminescence parameters and quantum yield efficiency of the up-conversion structure.
Due to its optical and structural characteristics, cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles have been used in wide variety of applications. This paper introduces the enhancement of visible fluorescence emission of ceria nanoparticlesthrough adding plasmonicgold nanoparticles (Au NPs) under violet excitation. Au NPs lead to enhance the formation of tri-valent ionization states of cerium ions with corresponding oxygen vacancies formation. In addition, the coupling between plasmonic waves of gold and emission spectrum of ceria offers another contribution to the enhancement of fluorescence intensity.Then, gold-ceria nanoparticles have been applied as optical sensing material for dissolved oxygen in aqueous media based on fluorescence quenching mechanism.The sensed data is automatically collected and processed through a wireless sensor network-based communication infrastructure with smartdata and feedback management capability.
Optical up-conversion process using tri-valent lanthanide elements hosted by lowphonon environment is helpful in wide variety of biomedical, sensing, and optical-energy harvesting applications. In up-conversion process of erbium-based nanoparticles, infra-red photons have been absorbed and converted into visible light through two-photon absorption mechanism. In this work, erbium-doped ceria and Fluoride nanoparticles, of mean diameter around 10nm, are synthesized and optically-characterized through up-conversion process. Cerium oxide (ceria) and sodium-ytterium fluoride are selected as a host due to their relativelylow- phonon medium in addition to their conductive properties. The main optical core centers, erbium atoms, are responsible for optical conversion process of the range of ~520nm emission under 780nm excitation. Then, the synthesized nanoparticles are coated on the edges of frontside of silicon solar cell in addition to the backside. The optical efficiency improvement within the up-conversion process is expected due to better spectrum utilization. The backside coating is helpful to offer a conductive medium for the generated photoelectrons to be easier moved to the electrodes. The efficiency of solar cell is found to be improved due to the coated nanoparticles to 15.20% compared to the uncoated solar cell of 15%, with a clear increase in the value of short-circuit current.
The work demonstrates an electrospun nanocomposite of recombinant spider silk protein (rSSp) nanofibers with embedded cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles. RSSP (MaSp1) has been produced, extracted from goat milk, and fabricated into nanofibers using an electrospinning process. The resulting electrospun nanofibers have a mean diameter of ∼50 nm. Furthermore, ceria nanoparticles of mean diameter <10 nm were added in the spinning dope to be embedded within the generated nanofibers. These nanoparticles show certain optical activity due to optical trivaliant cerium ions, associated with formed oxygen vacancies. The formed nanocomposite shows promising mechanical properties such as the Young’s modulus, elasticity (or elongation at break), and toughness. In addition, the electrospun mat becomes fluorescent with 520-nm emission upon exposure to UV light, due to excitation of the optically active ceria nanoparticles. Also, the formed nanocomposite shows a decay of its electric resistance over time upon exposure to cyclic loads at different humidity conditions. The synthesized nanocomposite can be utilized in different biomedical, textile, and sensing applications.
Ceria nanoparticles are studied as optical probe for different types of tiny metallic particles using fluorescence quenching technique. The synthesized ceria nanoparticles are characterized by having formed charged oxygen vacancies, which can be considered as the main receptors for the used tiny metallic particles to be sensed or absorbed. Under near-UV excitation, the visible fluorescent emission intensity is found to be reduced with increasing the concentration of the studied tiny metallic particles in an aqueous solution. To emphasize the optical sensing process, ceria nanoparticles fluorescence lifetime measurements were demonstrated before and after adding the tiny metallic particles. In addition, Stern–Volmer constants, which are considered as an indication for the sensitivity to quenchers, have been calculated for the used ceria nanoparticles and found to be 1.645, and 0.768 M−1 for both lead and iron sensing, respectively. This work could be further helpful as sensitive optical sensors in both biomedical and environmental applications.
In this paper, ceria nanoparticles are studied as optical probe for different types of metallic tiny particles via fluorescence quenching technique. The synthesized ceria nanoparticles are formed to have charged oxygen vacancies which can be considered the receptors for metal tiny particles to be sensed or adsorbed. Under near-UV excitation, the visible fluorescent emission intensity is found to be reduced with increasing the concentration of tiny particles in the colloidal synthesized nanoparticles' solution. Stern-Volmer constants, which are considered as an indication for the sensitivity to quenchers, have been calculated for the used ceria nanoparticles. This work could be further helpful in many applications such as, sensitive optical sensors in both biomedical and environmental applications.
This study introduces the application of ceria nanoparticles (NPs) as an optical sensor for peroxide using fluorescence quenching technique. Our synthesized ceria NPs have the ability to adsorb peroxides via its oxygen vacancies. Ceria NPs solution with added variable concentrations of hydrogen peroxides is exposed through near-UV excitation and the detected visible fluorescent emission is found to be at ∼520 nm. The fluorescent intensity peak is found to be reduced with increasing the peroxide concentrations due to static fluorescence quenching technique. The relative intensity change of the visible fluorescent emission has been reduced to more than 50% at added peroxide concentrations up to 10 wt. %. In order to increase ceria peroxides sensing sensitivity, lanthanide elements such as samarium (Sm) are used as ceria NPs dopant. This research work could be applied further in optical sensors of radicals in biomedical engineering and environmental monitoring.
This study introduces the application of small ceria nanoparticles (NPs) as optical sensor for peroxide using fluorescence quenching technique. Our synthesized ceria nanoparticles have the ability to adsorb peroxides via its oxygen vacancies. Ceria nanoparticles (NPs) solution with added variable concentrations of hydrogen peroxides is exposed through near UV excitation and the detected visible fluorescent emission is found to be at ~520nm, with reduced peak intensity peaks with increasing the peroxide concentrations due to static fluorescence quenching technique. The relative intensity change of the visible fluorescent emission has been reduced to more than 50% at added peroxide concentrations up to 10 wt.%. This research work could be applied further in optical sensors of radicals in biomedical engineering and environmental monitoring.
This work investigates the relationship between the Q factor of a silica microsphere coated with nonlinear optical molecules and the surface density of the nonlinear molecules. Two types of nonlinear molecules are studied: poly{1-[p-(3′-carboxy-4′-hydroxyphenylazo) benzenesulfonamido]-1,2-ethandiyl} (PCBS), and Procion Brown MX-GRN (PB). In our experiments, we coat silica microspheres with ionic self-assembled multilayer films with different thicknesses as well as with different PCBS/PB chromophores densities. The Q factors of the coated microspheres are measured to be within the range of 106 to 107, which can be attributed to the optical absorption of the coated chromophores. This work can be used to experimentally determine the effective density of chromophores assembled on the silica microsphere. It may also find applications in chemical/biological sensing.
This work investigates the relationship between the Q factor of a silica-microsphere coated with nonlinear optical molecules and the surface density of the molecules. Two types of nonlinear molecules are studied: poly {1-[p-(3′-carboxy-4’-hydroxyphenylazo) benzenesulfonamido]-1, 2-ethandiyl} (PCBS), and Procion Brown MX-GRN (PB). In our experiments, we coat silica microspheres with ionic self-assembled multilayer (ISAM) films with different thickness values as well as different PCBS/PB chromophore densities. The Q factors of the coated microspheres are limited to the range of 106-107, which can be attributed to the optical absorption of the coated chromophores. This work can be used to experimentally determine the effective density of chromophores assembled on the silica microsphere. It may also find applications in chemical / biological sensing.
Ceria nanoparticles (∼7 nm in diameter) were used as a molecular probe for dissolved oxygen sensing based on fluorescence quenching. Strong inverse correlation was found between the amplitude of the fluorescence emission at 520 nm (from excitation shift at 430 nm) and the dissolved oxygen concentration (between 5 and 13 mg/L). The phenomenon employed depends on the concentration, diffusion, and reactivity of the oxygen vacancies in ceria. These vacancies are associated with the conversion of cerium ions from the Ce+4 to Ce+3 states. The Stern-Volmer constant, which is an indication of the sensitivity of gas sensing, was found to be 184.6 M−1 at room temperature. This constant shows good stability between 25°C to 50°C when compared to that of other currently used fluorophores in optical oxygen sensors.
The development of oxygen sensors has positively impacted the fields of medical science, bioengineering, environmental monitoring, solar cells, industrial process control, and a number of military applications. Fluorescent quenching sensors have an inherent high sensitivity, chemical selectivity, and stability when compared to other types
of sensors. While cerium oxide thin films have been used to monitor oxygen in the gas phase, the potential of cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles as the active material in sensor for oxygen gas has only recently been investigated. Ceria nanoparticles are one of the most unique nanomaterials that are being studied today due to the diffusion and reactivity of its oxygen vacancies, which contributes to its high oxygen storage capability. The reactivity of the oxygen vacancies, which is also related to conversion of cerium ion from the Ce+4 to Ce+3 state, affects the fluorescence properties of the ceria nanoparticles. Our research demonstrates that the ceria nanoparticles (~7 nm in diameter) have application as a fluorescence quenching sensor to measure dissolved oxygen in water. We have found a strong inverse correlation between the amplitude of the fluorescence emission (λexcitation = 430 nm and λpeak = 520 nm) and the dissolved oxygen concentration between 5 – 13 mg/L. The Stern-Volmer constant, which is an indication of the sensitivity of gas sensing is 184 M-1 for the ceria nanoparticles. The results show that ceria nanoparticles can be used in an improved, robust fluorescence sensor for dissolved oxygen in a liquid medium.
The East China Sea (ECS) is threatened by frequent Skeletonema costatum (S. costatum)
blooms every year, which can cause severe environmental harm, as well as considerable
economic losses. Remote sensing is an efficient tool for monitoring these harmful algal blooms
(HABs) and studying concerned marine conditions. This study investigated two intensive
S. costatum HABs in the ECS by analysis of water distribution and spatial-temporal pattern
of four oceanographic parameters derived from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer
(MODIS) and QuickSCAT satellite data using multiple remote sensing approaches (composite
imagery interpretation, classification, and parameters retrieval). Results show that high chlorophyll-
a (Chl-a) concentrations and net primary production (NPP) decrease from the HAB
areas toward the open sea. A peak of Chl-a (>10 mgm−3) and NPP (>5000 mg · C · m−2 · d−1)
are considered indicators of large-scale S. costatum blooms in the ECS. Low sea surface
temperature (SST; approximately 23°C) are observed in S. costatum HAB areas. In early stages,
winds in terms of direction and speed can bring nutrients to facilitate the formation of S. costatum
blooms, but then sharply change into unfavorable conditions to cause the final disappearance
of HABs. This study also explored multiple oceanographic explanations in the ECS from
biochemical, meteorological, physical, and geological perspectives for a better understanding of
such S. costatum HABs mechanisms.
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