Hydrothermal synthesis and luminescent properties of Y 2O 3:Tb 3+ and Gd 2O 3:Tb 3+ microrods

Abstract

One-dimensional (1D) Y 2O 3:Tb 3+ and Gd 2O 3:Tb 3+ microrods have been successfully prepared through a large-scale and facile hydrothermal method followed by a subsequent calcination process in N 2/H 2 mixed atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra as well as kinetic decays were used to characterize the samples. The as-formed products via the hydrothermal process could transform to cubic Y 2O 3:Tb 3+ and Gd 2O 3:Tb 3+ with the same morphology and slight shrinking in size after a postannealing process. Both Y 2O 3:Tb 3+ and Gd 2O 3:Tb 3+ microrods exhibit strong green emission corresponding to 5D 4 → 7F 5 transition (542 nm) of Tb 3+ under UV light excitation (307 and 258 nm, respectively), and low-voltage electron beam excitation (1.5 → 3.5 kV), which have potential applications in fluorescent lamps and field emission displays.