Development of visible-to-ultraviolet upconversion phosphors for light-activated antimicrobial surfaces

• Main Author: Cates, Ezra Lucas Hoyt
• Published: Georgia Institute of Technology 2013
• Subjects: Photoluminescence; Disinfection; Upconversion; Antimicrobial; Anti-infective agents; Phosphors
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1853/47619

A new form of antimicrobial surface was developed, which relies on an optical mechanism rather than chemical inactivation of microorganisms. Through the photoluminescence process of upconversion, low energy photons can be amplified into higher energy photons, and in this case, phosphors capable of converting visible light into germicidal UVC radiation were synthesized. Host crystals were doped with a praseodymium activator ion and shown to emit UVC photons upon excitation by blue or violet light. Surface coatings were prepared and proof-of-concept experiments demonstrated that, under exposure to a household fluorescent lamp, sufficient UVC radiation was emitted from the surfaces to achieve observable inactivation of surface bacterial spores and inhibition of biofilm growth. Material engineering was conducted to achieve higher optical conversion efficiency, wherein lithium codoping and development of alternative oxyfluoride host crystals were found to significantly improve upconversion emission. Implications of polychromatic excitation were investigated by conducting photoluminescence spectroscopy under combined laser beam excitation, while the effects of other application parameters are also discussed. These findings show that upconversion-based antimicrobial materials have strong potential for offering sustainable and effective technology for the prevention of diseases.