A novel strategy to synthesize Gd2O2S:Eu3+ luminescent nanobelts via inheriting the morphology of precursor

Abstract

Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanobelts were fabricated by calcination of the electrospun PVP/[Gd(NO3)3 + Eu(NO3)3] composite nanobelts. For the first time, Gd2O2S:Eu3+ nanobelts were successfully prepared via inheriting the morphology and sulfurization of the as-prepared Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanobelts precursor using sulfur powders as sulfur source by a double-crucible method we newly proposed. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that Gd2O2S:Eu3+ nanobelts were pure hexagonal in structure with space group P\( \bar{3} \)m1. Scanning electron microscope analysis results showed that the width and thickness of the Gd2O2S:Eu3+ nanobelts were ca. 2.1 μm and 129 nm, respectively. Under the excitation of 330-nm ultraviolet light, Gd2O2S:Eu3+ nanobelts emitted red emissions of predominant peaks at 628 and 618 nm which were attributed to the 5D0 → 7F2 energy levels transitions of the Eu3+ ions. It was found that the optimum doping molar concentration of Eu3+ ions in Gd2O2S:Eu3+ nanobelts was 5 %. Possible formation and sulfurization mechanisms of Gd2O2S:Eu3+ nanobelts were also proposed. This new sulfurization technique is of great importance, not only can inherit the morphology of rare earth oxides, but also can fabricate pure-phase rare earth oxysulfides at low temperature compared with conventional sulfurization method.