ZnS:Cu,Co water-soluble afterglow nanoparticles: synthesis, luminescence and potential applications

Cu(2+) and Co(2+) co-doped zinc sulfide water-soluble nanoparticles (ZnS:Cu,Co) were prepared and their afterglow luminescence was observed and reported for the first time. The nanoparticles have a cubic zinc blende structure with average sizes of about 4 nm as determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). In the photoluminescence, two emission peaks are observed at 470 and 510 nm. However, in the afterglow, only one peak is observed at around 525 nm. The blue emission at 470 nm is from surface states and the green emission at 525 nm is from Cu(2+). This means that Cu(2+) is responsible for the afterglow from the nanoparticles, while the co-doping of Co(2+) is critical for the afterglow because no afterglow could be seen without co-doping with Co(2+). The successful observation of the afterglow from water-soluble nanoparticles may open up new applications of afterglow phosphors in biological imaging, detection and treatment.