Synthesis of silver/SiO2/Eu:Lu2O3 core–shell nanoparticles and their polymer nanocomposites

We report a core–shell approach that combines silver nanoparticles as the metal core component with Eu:Lu2O3 as the phosphor shell component. The core–shell design contains an optically transparent SiO2 intermediate layer that separates the metallic nanoparticle core and the phosphor shell. The thickness of the SiO2 layer is in the nanometer range and can be tuned, so as to provide for different interactions between the core and shell. To demonstrate the versatility of the design, spherical silver nanoparticles or wavelength-tunable plasmonic silver nanoplates are used as the core component. In addition, a nanocomposite phosphor was fabricated by embedding the core–shell nanoparticles into a transparent polymeric matrix. The core–shell metal-phosphor design presented here serves as framework for the fabrication of inexpensive nanocomposite scintillator.