Deep red and near infrared persistent luminescence in Yb³⁺,Cr³⁺ Co-doped ZnGa₂O₄ nano glass ceramics

With the aim at doing nano-probes for in vivo imaging, persistent luminescent materials take some advantages due to the absence of excitation light, limiting auto fluorescence. Several persistent luminescent materials have been designed to emit in one of the three partially transparent biological windows [1]. Owing to its outstanding persistent luminescence in the deep red range (696 nm), ZnGa₂O₄:Cr³⁺ is a well-studied compound in view of this application [2]. Still, it can be challenging to accurately measure the persistent properties of nano-scale materials. Nano glass-ceramics elaboration remains a good way to obtain this compound at nano-metric scale [3], and to evaluate the properties of the persistent luminescence nanoparticles. These materials possess efficient persistent properties [4].