Synthesis and near-infrared fluorescence of K5NdLi2F10 nanocrystals and their dispersion with high doping concentration and long lifetime

K5NdLi2F10 nanocrystals were synthesized by a novel synthetic route in the liquid phase, which could improve the morphology and reduce the size effectively, for the first time. The luminescence intensities of the K5NdLi2F10 nanocrystals and their dispersion in polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) approximate to that of neodymium doped phosphate glass (3 mol%), while the lifetimes of the nanocrystals alone and when dispersed with Nd3+ ions (1 × 1020 cm−3) are 303.4 μs and 174.6 μs respectively. Based on the Judd–Ofelt analysis, the emission quantum yield of the dispersion reaches 39.57%. In all, the K5NdLi2F10 nanocrystals and their dispersion have promising applications as liquid laser materials and biological fluorescent markers.