Template-Assisting Preparation of Luminescent YAG:Nd³⁺ Nanoparticles and Hollow Nano-Beads.

Nanostructured YAG:Nd³⁺ is an interesting material with a wide range of applications. In this paper, we report the fabrication of luminescent YAG:Nd³⁺ nanoparticles via a simple template-assisting nano-casting technique. By optimizing the synthetic parameters, bead-like hollow YAG:Nd³⁺ nanoparticles with nano-porous walls were successfully prepared. Their porous and hollow structures, and strong photoluminescence in the "Human Optical Window" make the YAG:Nd³⁺ nanoparticles promising candidates for in-vivo applications.