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In a proof-of-concept study, we assessed different analytical and spectroscopic parameters for stability screening of differently sized β-NaYF4:20 mol % Yb3+, 2 mol % Tm3+ upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) exemplarily in the bioanalytically relevant buffer phosphate buffered saline (PBS; pH 7.4) at 37 and 50 °C. This included the potentiometric determination of the amount of released fluoride ions, surface analysis with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Based on these results, the luminescence lifetime of the 800 nm upconversion emission was identified as an optimum parameter for stability screening of UCNPs and changes in particle surface chemistry.

The effect of the morphology of ferrite nanoparticles on their assembly in a magnetic field was studied. Thin BaFe12O19 nanoplatelets were compared with isotropic, spherical or octahedral, CoFe2O4 nanoparticles, all of which were synthesized hydrothermally. The nanoplatelets and nanoparticles assembled into a variety of hierarchical structures from stable suspensions during the "drop deposition" and drying in a magnetic field. The alignment of the nanoparticles in the magnetic field was observed in situ with an optical microscope. The morphologies of the nanoparticles and the subsequent assemblies were observed with transmission and scanning electron microscopes, respectively. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles and the assemblies were measured with a vibrating-sample magnetometer. The BaFe12O19 nanoplatelets aligned in the plane of the substrate and formed several-micrometers-thick, ordered films with a magnetic alignment of approximately 90%. The CoFe2O4 nanoparticles assembled into thick, dense columns with a height of several hundreds of micrometers and showed a magnetic alignment of up to 60%. The differences in the morphologies and the magnetic alignments between the BaFe12O19 and CoFe2O4 hierarchical structures could be explained in terms of the differences in the shape and magnetocrystalline structure of the specific nanoparticles.

The dissolution of upconverting AYF4:Yb,Tm (A = Na or K) nanoparticles (UCNPs) in aqueous media was systematically studied. UCNPs with a cubic structure and sizes of between 10 and 33 nm were synthesized solvothermally in ethylene glycol at 200 °C. The UCNPs of both compositions showed an upconversion fluorescence emission characteristic of Tm(3+). The effects of the A cation, the particle size, the temperature, the pH, and the composition of the aqueous medium on the dissolution of the UCNPs were evaluated. The degree of dissolution was determined from the fraction of dissolved fluoride (F(-)) using potentiometry. Unexpectedly, the composition of aqueous media had the most significant effect on the dissolution of the UCNPs. The highest degree of dissolution and rate were measured for the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), which can be explained by the formation of stable lanthanide compounds with phosphates. The degree of dissolution was much lower in water and in the phthalate buffer, which was attributed to the release of F(-) as a result of the hydrolysis of the UCNPs' surfaces.

We have studied the preparation of oriented BaFe(12)O(19) films produced using electrophoretic deposition (EPD). Highly anisotropic, platelike BaFe(12)O(19) particles were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions, and from these particles, stable suspensions were prepared in 1-butanol by the addition of dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid as a surfactant. The interplay of the interaction forces between the suspended particles and the forces acting on the particles during the EPD directed the particles' assembly in the plane of the substrate. The most significant effect on the orientation of the films was the diameter-to-thickness ratio of the particles, which was experimentally confirmed with X-ray analyses, electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements. The abnormal grain growth that accompanied the sintering at 1150 °C further improved the overall orientation of the films, which showed highly anisotropic magnetic behavior with a remanent-to-saturation magnetization ratio exceeding 0.8.