Effect of graphene oxide on the upconversion photoluminescence behavior of Er/Yb co-doped PVDF-GO composite nanofibers

Authors

Saptasree Bose, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Jack Ryan Summers, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Bhupendra B. Srivastava, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Karen Lozano, Rice University
Victoria Padilla-Gainza, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Upconversion photoluminescence (UCPL) materials, particularly rare-earth (RE) doped nanoparticles, have garnered significant attention due to their ability to convert near-infrared (NIR) excitation into visible emission, offering benefits such as high photostability, long lifetimes, low autofluorescence, and deep tissue penetration. Among various platforms, polymer-based one-dimensional (1D) nanofibers with in-situ lanthanide doping remain relatively unexplored, despite their superior mechanical flexibility, processability, and potential for improved luminescence performance. In this study, we report the fabrication and UCPL quenching behavior of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) nanofibers incorporated with graphene oxide (GO), synthesized for the first time using the scalable Forcespinning® technique. PVDF, a low-phonon fluorinated polymer, serves as an ideal host to minimize non-radiative losses. GO, a known fluorescence quencher, is introduced to study its effect on the emission intensity and quenching mechanisms of the upconverting fibers. A comprehensive analysis of UCPL intensity variation with GO concentration reveals critical energy transfer interactions between GO and the lanthanide-doped PVDF matrix. This work offers new insights into the design of flexible upconverting platforms and paves the way for their integration in next-generation sensing, biomedical, and optoelectronic applications.

Comments

Original published version available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optmat.2025.117645

Recommended Citation

Bose, Saptasree, Jack Ryan Summers, Bhupendra B. Srivastava, Karen Lozano, and Victoria Padilla-Gainza. "Effect of graphene oxide on the upconversion photoluminescence behavior of Er/Yb co-doped PVDF-GO composite nanofibers." Optical Materials (2026): 117645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optmat.2025.117645

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Publication Title

Optical Materials

DOI

10.1016/j.optmat.2025.117645