Abstract
The one-pot, shape selective synthesis of cerium phosphate nanorods has been explored and developed to give nanoparticles with aspect ratios between 3–24.8.
Highlights
Rare-earth orthophosphates (LnPO4) are an important family of functional materials with uses in luminescence1–3 catalysis4,5, heat-resistance6, cosmetics7, radioactive waste storage8 and electrochemistry.9 They often have multiple crystal forms, cerium phosphate for example has two well documented crystal structures: rhabdophane and monazite with the hexagonal form usually including structural water, (CePO4.nH2O ) and formed at low temperatures while the monoclinic form is anhydrous and formed at high temperatures
For ≤ 180 °C we produced exclusively cerium phosphate nanorods, where increasing the temperature in increments up to 180 °C led to a growth in the rod length/aspect ratio
Despite the hexagonal bulk structure, the Photo induced Force Microscopy (PiFM) spectra show that domains of monoclinic cerium phosphate coexist with the hexagonal structure at the surface of the rods
Summary
Rare-earth orthophosphates (LnPO4) are an important family of functional materials with uses in luminescence catalysis, heat-resistance, cosmetics, radioactive waste storage and electrochemistry. They often have multiple crystal forms, cerium phosphate for example has two well documented crystal structures: rhabdophane (hexagonal) and monazite (monoclinic) with the hexagonal form usually including structural water, (CePO4.nH2O ) and formed at low temperatures while the monoclinic form is anhydrous and formed at high temperatures. Rare-earth orthophosphates (LnPO4) are an important family of functional materials with uses in luminescence catalysis, heat-resistance, cosmetics, radioactive waste storage and electrochemistry.. Rare-earth orthophosphates (LnPO4) are an important family of functional materials with uses in luminescence catalysis, heat-resistance, cosmetics, radioactive waste storage and electrochemistry.9 They often have multiple crystal forms, cerium phosphate for example has two well documented crystal structures: rhabdophane (hexagonal) and monazite (monoclinic) with the hexagonal form usually including structural water, (CePO4.nH2O ) and formed at low temperatures while the monoclinic form is anhydrous and formed at high temperatures. Vinothkumar et al., synthesised samarium doped cerium phosphate nanorods with monoclinic and hexagonal structures and showed a longer luminescent lifetime for the monoclinic form which they attributed to quenching by the structural water in the hexagonal structure. They showed the monoclinic phosphate to have a higher catalytic activity in the presence of peroxidase which they attributed to a greater ability to create hydroxyl radicals
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