Luminescent YPO4:Eu@PVA dispersions for anti-counterfeiting ink applications

A method was developed to obtain YPO4:Eu dispersions of PVA as a luminescent inks. YPO4:Eu nanoparticles were prepared by precipitation followed by hydrothermal treatment. The dispersion preparation included systematic studies to prepare a stable colloidal system and to investigate the role of parameters affecting its stability and UV-excited YPO4:Eu emission intensity. The effect of PVA concentration was studied in detail for two different PVAs to determine the optimal parameters for its use as ink with specific luminescent properties. The type of interactions responsible for the dispersion stability was also investigated.