Monodisperse water-soluble hexagonal phase Ln3+-doped NaGdF4 upconverting nanocrystals (UCNCs) have been successfully fabricated by means of a fast, facile, and environmentally friendly microwave-assisted route with polyethylenimine as the surfactant. Fine-tuning of the UC emission from visible to near-IR and finally to white light has been achieved. Furthermore, studies of the magnetic resonance imaging as well as the magnetization (magnetization–magnetic field curves) and the targeted recognition properties of FA-coupled amine-functionalized NaGdF4@SiO2 UCNCs indicate that the obtained NaGdF4UCNCs can be potential candidates for dual-mode optical/magnetic bioapplications.
Hydrophilic upconversion multicolor lanthanide-doped NaGdF4 nanocrystals as potential multifunctional bioprobes