title: Near-infrared photocatalysis of β-NaYF4:Yb3+,Tm3+@ZnO composites.
abstract: A novel near-infrared (NIR)-responsive photocatalyst, β-NaYF4:Yb(3+),Tm(3+)@ZnO composites, was prepared by a two-step high temperature thermolysis method. In the NIR-responsive photocatalysis, β-NaYF4:Yb,Tm served as a NIR-to-UV upconverter and provided "UV light" or "necessary energy" to the ZnO catalyst. The energy transfer in the composites and the mixtures of β-NaYF4:Yb,Tm and ZnO was studied by using steady-state and dynamic fluorescence spectroscopy. The NIR photocatalytic activities were investigated by the decomposition of Rhodamine B. It was found that the energy transfer processes dominated the overall photocatalytic activities, and the generation of hydroxyl radicals was the origin of organic pollutant decomposition under NIR irradiation.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China. whdi@jlu.edu.cn wpqin@jlu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xingyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Weiye
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Changfeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Di
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qin