X-ray-activated Bi3+/Pr3+ co-doped LiYGeO4 phosphor with UV and NIR dual-emissive persistent luminescence

X-ray-activated luminescence materials have broad application prospects in photodynamic therapy of deep tissue. Among them, X-ray-activated persistent luminescence materials (PLMs) exhibiting multiple emission peaks have drawn extensive attention for their capacity to achieve a combination of bioimaging and therapeutic functions. Here, we developed a novel PLM, LiYGeO4:Bi3+,Pr3+, that simultaneously exhibits UV and NIR dual persistent luminescence (PersL) emissions after irradiation by X-ray. The material can be repeatedly excited by X-ray and emits similar luminescence intensity every time, which shows good PersL stability. In addition, LiYGeO4:Bi3+,Pr3+ exhibits photostimulated PersL properties by stimulation with a red light-emitting diode (LED) or NIR laser after long-term decay. This work provides a new choice of X-ray-excited PLMs with UV and NIR dual emission and the novel phosphor shows promise as a potential candidate for the integration of treatment and diagnosis of deep tumors.