Tb Doping Research Articles

Significantly improved optical and radiation transmission performance of borate glasses via Tb and Yb rare earth doping

The present study was intended to present new borate glass structure with attractive properties useful for optical and radiation shielding purposes. Therefore, a novel series of B2O3-glass samples defined as: 75B2O3 – 10Li2O – (15-x-y)PbO – x(Yb2O3) – y(Tb2O3), where the corresponding oxide fractions are expressed in mol percent and x and y varied between 1 and 2 mol%, were prepared by employing the well-known melting-and-quenching technique. The structural, physical, optical, and radiation interaction qualities of the glasses were probed based on established experimental and theoretical processes. There was a thin line between the density and molar volumes of the glasses, fluctuating between 3.168 and 3.224 g/cm3 and 28.602 and 29.117 cm3/mol, respectively. All the glass samples exhibited a transparency of over 80 % in the visible range and most parts of the infrared spectrum. The analysis of the gamma photon interaction parameters showed that density and chemical composition greatly influence the shielding abilities of the glasses. The mean free paths of the studied glasses were lower than some known shielding glasses and other materials. The value of ΣR for 1Y0T, 1Y1T, 1Y2T, and 2Y1T is 0.1059, 0.1066, 0.1051, and 0.1063 cm−1, respectively. The half value layers of the glasses had almost a constant minimum value of 0.005 cm at the minimum energy (0.015 MeV) and maximum values of 7.192, 7.100, 7.152, and 7.035 cm for 1Y0T, 1Y1T, 1Y2T, and 2Y1T, respectively at 10.000 MeV. The glasses are potentially more effective for radiation shielding and also desirable where there is lack of space for thicker shield designs. The present glasses had better fast neutron moderating capacities compared to some conventional moderators. None of the studied borate glasses showed a clear performance advantage to the others in terms of absorbing electrons, protons, alpha particles and heavy carbon ions. The studied borate glasses are recommended as transparent and effective radiation protection barriers in ionizing radiation facilities.

Construction of marigold-like ZnIn2S4@Tb-g-C3N4 heterojunction for facilitating photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline and tylosin under simulated solar irradiation

Due to the high biological toxicity and the propensity to induce antibiotic resistance, the treatment of antibiotic wastewater has consistently posed a formidable challenge. The semiconductor photocatalysts can efficiently and completely remove antibiotics from the wastewater to repair the water environment. Therefore, a novel ZnIn2S4/Tb-g-C3N4 (ZIS/TCN) photocatalyst was successfully synthesized in this paper and its ability to efficiently degrade antibiotics has been verified. The optimized 150ZIS/TCN photocatalyst showed excellent photocatalytic performance and stablility toward the degradation of tetracycline (TC) and tylosin (TYL) under sunlight simulated with a xenon lamp. Compared with pristine g-C3N4 and ZnIn2S4, the 150ZIS/TCN exhibited superior degradation performance for TC (TYL)，about 3.2 (2.1) and 1.8 (1.5) times higher than them. Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental characterization test results, it was confirmed that the Tb doping effectively regulates the intrinsic electric field and visible light absorption capacity. This study unveils the degradation mechanism of ZIS/TCN photocatalysis and provides an effective pathway for enhancing photocatalytic degradation through rare earth doping.

Superconductivity, antiferromagnetism, and charge density waves in ZrTe3 intercalated with Terbium

The uniaxial compound ZrTe3 displays a complex charge density wave (CDW) ground state below ≈ 63 K. Here we report that Tb intercalated ZrTe3 single crystals display superconductivity with Tc ≈ 5.4 K. The effect of the Tb additions to the superconducting properties, magnetism, and CDW are probed by means of measurements of electrical resistivity (ρ), thermoelectric potential (S), and Hall effect. The temperature dependence of the upper critical field (Hc2) could be fit with a two-band model. The magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest that upon the addition of Tb an antiferromagnetic order is developed with ordering temperature of TN ≈ 4.0 K. Tb doping's enhancing effect on Tc suggests promising paths for future research involving lanthanide dopants in transition metal tellurides.

(Digital Presentation) Investigation of the Damage of Focus Ion Beam (FIB) on Nanocrystals Formed in Terbium-Doped Silicon Oxide Thin Films

Terbium-doped oxygen-rich silicon oxide (ORSO:Tb) thin films were fabricated using Integrated magnetron sputtering and electron cyclotron plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (IMS ECR-PECVD) method. To investigate damage from focus ion beam (a comparison is made between mechanical and FIB methods measurements, which did not reveal crystal damage induced by FIB.Silicon-based thin films are fundamental materials in electronics and photonics, and doping is a common method to enhance silicon-based thin film’s luminescence. Terbium (Tb), characterized by well-defined emission lines, ranging from 400 to 620 nm (green emission), provides compelling reasons for using Tb as a dopant in silicon-based thin films (1).TEM is a method employed for studying. Preparation methods are required to make a TEM sample that is transparent to the electron beam (with a thickness of approximately 100 to 200 nm) (2). While conventional techniques, like electrolytic polishing and mechanical milling, are commonly used for preparing TEM samples, they fall short of achieving the precise preparation of a TEM sample in a specific area of interest with high spatial resolution.FIB has been used for preparing TEM specimens, which is fast and reliable. By scanning the beam across the cross-section, it becomes possible to reduce the thickness of the sample to prepare it for TEM (4)(5). The primary issue is due to the impact of ion beams accelerated to high energy therefore, examination effect of FIB on structure is important. Damages resulting from using FIB have mainly been studied on Silicon-based materials (6)(7)(8).In this paper, Tb-doped silicon oxide (oxygen-rich) thin film deposited by IMS ECR-PECVD offers a more uniform distribution and well-controlled rare-earth doping (9). To investigate the damages induced in the preparation process, ORSO:Tb annealed at 1200 °C was divided into two parts, and then a comparison between the mechanical and FIB preparations for TEM samples was made.ORSO:Tb were fabricated using an IMS ECR-PECVD system, employing 2 sccm SiH4 at 30% Ar and 28 sccm O2 at 10% as silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) precursors. These gas sources were delivered to the ECR chamber, pure Tb target with a sputtering power of 30 W and the substrate temperature was set at 350 °C. Following deposition, the thin film underwent annealing at 1200 °C for 1 hour.The TEM samples prepared by mechanical method and annealed at 1200 ⁰C, Fig. 1(a), showed a well-defined crystal structure. The dark points on the sample represent the nanocrystals of terbium disilicate. The average thickness of the sample is approximately 168.88 nm. Fig. 1(b) displays the ORSO:Tb annealed at 1200 ⁰C, showing the cross-sectional morphology of well-ordered nanostructures on the specimen with Tb doping, prepared by FIB. The cross-section of the thin film is well-ordered, and the FIB process did not disrupt the crystal structure of the sample annealed at high temperature, nor did it lead to the formation of a new structure. Furthermore, a comparative analysis between the TEM-prepared sample employing the mechanical method and the one prepared using FIB makes it evident that the FIB-prepared sample possesses superior resolution. The size distribution of particles is approximately the same, while due to the higher resolution of the TEM sample prepared through FIB, exhibits a particle distribution with a greater range with more details. In contrast, particle size determination in the mechanical method is more challenging due to its lower resolution, determining details and size characterization more difficult. Conclusion The ORSO:Tb sample was fabricated using the IMS ECR-PECVD system at 1200 degrees. Based on the findings presented in the paper, the effect of FIB, particularly at high annealing temperatures, does not induce significant damage to the crystal structure of ORSO:Tb thin film. The particle size distribution in the TEM sample prepared with FIB is broader and more detailed than in the mechanical due to its higher resolution. Particle size determination using the mechanical method is more challenging due to its lower resolution, making it more difficult to distinguish details and characterize sizes. Additionally, atomic composition analysis indicated the accurate abundance of oxygen in oxygen-rich silicon oxide. Figure 1

Tailoring electronic and optical properties of Lutetium pyrosilicate (Lu2Si2O7) through Nd and Tb doping: Insights from DFT+U calculations

In this research paper, we investigate the electronic and optical properties of Lutetium pyrosilicate (Lu2Si2O7, LPS) by Nd and Tb doping using density functional theory (DFT) calculations within the framework of the WIEN2k code. The DFT + U method is employed to account for the strong correlation effects in the rare earth dopants. The analysis of the electronic properties reveals that the materials under investigation exhibit semiconductor behavior. The calculated spin up/dn energy band gaps for pristine, Nd & Tb doping Lu2Si2O7 are determined to be 4.610/4.660 eV, 4.635/5.162 eV, and 5.06/4.45 eV, respectively. Our results reveal that the doping of Nd and Tb impurities leads to the introduction of new electronic states within the band gap of Lu2Si2O7, resulting in a significant modification of the electronic and optical properties. Specifically, we find that the Tb-doped Lu2Si2O7 shows a wide band gap and enhanced optical absorption in the visible region, while the Nd-doped Lu2Si2O7 exhibits a broadened band gap and reduced optical absorption in the visible region. This study can provide a reference for future research and helps to extend the properties of Lu2Si2O7 by Nd and Tb materials into the optical applications.

Unveiling the enhancing mechanism of cyclic stability in Tb doped Ni-Mn-Sn Heusler alloys

Rare-earth (RE) doping has been demonstrated as a feasible approach to improve the cyclic performance of Ni-Mn-based Heusler alloys, but the current demonstration of underlying mechanism is simply ascribed to strengthening of the grain boundary cohesion. In this work, the effects brought by RE doping on microstructure, stress induced martensitic transformation behavior and cyclic stability of Ni-Mn-based alloys were systematically investigated. By Tb doping, a stable adiabatic temperature change (|ΔTad|) of ∼ 5.5 K over 1000 cycles with no significant degradation was obtained in (Ni43Mn47Sn10)99.5Tb0.5. (1) Through the in-situ digital image correlation strain measurement and in-situ SEM observation upon loading process, it revealed a multipoint nucleation of the martensitic transformation across the specimen arising from the intergranular NiSnTb secondary phase as nucleate sites, which weakens the strain concentration and suppresses the crack tendency. (2) The multipoint nucleation promotes the transformation volume fraction, making the large |ΔTad| could be driven by a small transformation strain (Δεtr) and (Ni43Mn47Sn10)99.5Tb0.5 yields a |ΔTad/Δεtr| up to 8.7 K %−1. Such reduction in applied strain further alleviates the extension of the cracks. Both the two factors brought by Tb doping in (Ni43Mn47Sn10)99.5Tb0.5 give rise to the enhancement in cyclic stability of the large elastocaloric effect.

Stabilization of durable tetragonal phase and barrier regions in y-123 ceramic systems with partial substitution mechanism

This study examines the impact of Tb and Zn doping on the Y-123 superconducting system by analyzing crack propagation mechanisms through Vickers microhardness measurements. The measurements are conducted at various application forces ranging from 0.245 N to 2.940 N. The microhardness measurements are used to determine the role of impurity addition on Vickers hardness, modulus of elasticity, brittleness index, fracture toughness, and yield strengths. It is found that impurity ions serving as strong barrier regions improve the surface residual compressive stress sites and interactivity between the adjacent layers. Similarly, the sensitivity to the external forces reduce significantly with the substitution mechanism due to the induced new slip systems and ionic bond formations. Accordingly, all the mechanical performance properties are recorded to increase significantly with the impurity ions. Especially, the replacement of Zn by Cu ions in the Y-123 matrix exhibits higher resistance to failure, mechanical strength, and stabilization of the durable tetragonal phase. Accordingly, Zn/Cu substitution in Y-123 ceramics paves the way for the applications of ceramic compounds in the fields of heavy-industrial technology and industrial power systems. All the ceramic materials also exhibit indentation size effect feature based on the recovery mechanism. Additionally, load-independent microhardness parameters are semi-empirically modeled by Meyer's law, Hays-Kendall, indentation-induced cracking, elastic–plastic deformation, and proportional sample resistance model for the first time. According to the comparisons, the IIC model is identified as the most suitable for interpreting the real microhardness results of newly produced Y-123 ceramic matrices.

Structure-Activity Optimization of Luminescent Tb-doped LaF3 Nanoparticles.

A series of Tb-doped LaF3 nanoparticles (NPs) was prepared by systematically varying the Tb doping rate from 0 to 100%. The elemental composition was confirmed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) analysis, and the size, morphology, and crystal structure were determined in the solid state by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry, while the size and ζ-potential of the NPs in solution were studied by dynamic light scattering, Taylor dispersion analysis, and laser Doppler electrophoresis. While the crystal structure appears to be hexagonal for a doping rate of up to 70%, an admixture of hexagonal and orthorhombic phases is observed for 80 and 90% Tb contents with a pure orthorhombic phase being obtained for TbF3. The spectroscopic properties of the NPs were studied for bare NPs and in the presence of dipicolinic acid as a surface-capping antenna ligand in solution. The coverage of the NPs by the ligand resulted in an increase in the luminescence lifetime of the emitting Tb centers, as a consequence of a better protection toward luminescence quenching from water molecules, as well as a large improvement in the brightness of the NPs. Taking into account the various parameters, a doping rate of 40% Tb was shown to be the best compromise for the development of such NPs for bioanalytical applications.

Mitigating kinetic hindrance of single-crystal Ni-rich cathodes through morphology modulation, nickel reduction, and lithium vacancy generation achieved by terbium doping

Single crystallization has proven to be effective in enhancing the capacity and stability of Ni-rich LiNi1−x−yCoxMnyO2 (SNCM) cathode materials, particularly at high cut-off voltages. Nevertheless, the synthesis of high-quality single-crystal particles remains challenging because of severe particle agglomeration and irregular morphologies. Moreover, the limited kinetics of solid-phase Li+ diffusion pose a significant concern because of the extended diffusion path in large single-crystal particles. To address these challenges, we developed a Tb-doped single-crystal LiNi0.83Co0.11Mn0.06O2 (SNCM-Tb) cathode material using a straightforward mixed molten salt sintering process. The Tb-doped Ni-rich single crystals presented a quasi-spherical morphology, which is markedly different from those reported in previous studies. Tb4+ doping significantly enhanced the dynamic transport of Li+ ions in the layered oxide phase by reducing the Ni valence state and creating Li vacancies. A SNCM-Tb material with 1 at% Tb doping shows a Li+ diffusion coefficient up to more than 9 times higher than pristine SNCM in the non-diluted state. In situ X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated a significantly facilitated H1-H2-H3 phase transition in the SNCM-Tb materials, thereby enhancing their rate capacity and structural stability. SNCM-Tb exhibited a reversible capacity of 186.9 mA h g−1 at 5 C, retaining 94.6% capacity after 100 cycles at 0.5 C under a 4.5 V cut-off. Our study elucidates the Tb4+ doping mechanisms and proposes a scalable method for enhancing the performance of single-crystal Ni-rich NCM materials.

Selective exposure of (1 1 1) crystal plane in Pd49Ag30Te4 by Tb doping to weaken Pd − C bond and promote electroreduction of CO2 to CO

Employing electric energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable small molecules is a potentially practical method in energy storage and greenhouse gas alleviation. A huge challenge for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction is to reduce overpotential to improve energy efficiency. Herein, we demonstrate that doping alloy Pd49Ag30Te4 (PAT) with rare-earth element Tb is beneficial for selective exposure of (111) crystal plane, which is a highly active crystal plane for producing carbon monoxide (CO). The as-prepared Tb2.9PAT exhibited high electrocatalytic performance with 95.7 % CO faradic efficiency at − 0.8 V (vs RHE), far exceeding that of PAT, and coupled with good durability. In situ spectral study and theoretical calculations disclose that the introduction of Tb regulates the d-band center of PAT alloy, weakens the Pd − C bonding ability, and promotes the desorption of *CO in the rate-determining step. This study provides a method for doping induced selective exposure of crystal face, which provides new idea for improving catalytic performance.

Assessment of superconducting and structural stability of advanced Y-123 and Y-358 ceramics with Tb/Y substitution in main matrices

In this study, the performances of Y1-x(Tb)xBa2Cu3O7-δ (Y-123) and Y3-x(Tb)xBa5Cu8O18-δ (Y-358) advanced ceramics prepared by sol-gel preparation route are investigated by the advanced characterization methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature dependent resistivity (ρ-T), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy distribution spectroscopy (EDS) measurements and theoretical approaches. The EDS results illustrated that the Tb impurities were replaced successfully by the yttrium sites in the YBa2Cu3O7-y main matrix. Similarly, it was noted that the presence of excess impurities in the crystal structure led to the oxygenation problems. Electrical properties were determined by temperature dependent resistivity (ρ-T) measurements. ρ-T results indicated that Tb doping reduced the critical transition temperature (Tc) values for the transition to superconductivity for all samples in two YBCO phases. Although it appears to have negative effects of Tb ions on the number of mobile charge carrier concentrations in the σ antibonding in-plane Cu-O bonds, bipolaron formations in the polarizable lattices, oxidation states, and amplitude of the pair wave function of both phases, the other valuable properties (morphology, crystallinity quality, interaction between adjacent layers, critical current density, and flux pinning ability) were noted to improve remarkably in the case of the optimum amount in the Y-123 superconducting phase. In this context, the Y-358 superconducting phase was harshly affected by the substitution due to the change of the ortorombicity, localization problem, impurity phases, structure stabilization, crystal structure quality, crystallization system, homogeneities of oxidation states, oxygen ordering degree, and impurity scatterings. Besides, the analysis of the fluctuation induced conductivity indicated that the Y-123 ceramics with longer c-axis coherence length and less anisotropic nature exhibited well superconducting properties. Additionally, the doping ratio of x=0.01 led to the formation and distribution of more nucleation centers for the thermal fluxon motions of 2D pancake vortices. Similarly, the optimum Tb doped Y-123 system exhibited much durable to applied field strengths due to the best interaction quality between grains. Accordingly, this study recommended that the Y1-x(Tb)xBa2Cu3O7-δ advanced ceramic structure with new functionalities can find much more application areas in innovative, heavy-industrial technologies, and advanced engineering-related sectors.

Enabling Ultrastable Co-Free Li-Rich Oxides via TbF3 Treatment.

Co-free Li-rich Mn-based cathode materials (Co-free LRMOs) have become one of the most promising cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries for the next generation due to their low cost, high capacity, and environmental friendliness. Under high voltage, redox reactions involving anions can easily lead to various issues, including oxygen release, dissolution of transition metal elements (TMs), and structural collapse in these materials. The absence of the Co element further exacerbates this issue. Here, a simple one-step solid-phase reaction strategy is proposed to achieve nanoscale dual modification of the Co-free LRMOs with F and Tb doping. The dual modification has a relatively small impact on the cell parameters and Li+ diffusion ability of the LRMOs, leading to no significant improvement in its rate performance. The modified LRMOs only exhibited discharge capacities of 220.7, 200.1, 140.0, 115.5, and 90.9 mAh·g-1 at 0.1, 0.2, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 C, respectively. However, the modified Co-free LRMOs exhibit extremely strong structural stability and retain 95.1% of the initial capacity after 300 cycles, so far, the highest capacity retention rates among all Ni/Mn-based Li-rich materials. Mechanism studies have shown that the enhancement in structural stability of the Co-free LRMOs is attributed to the increased concentration of oxygen vacancies and Ni3+ ions through F doping. Furthermore, Tb doping not only hinders the release of O2 but also enhances the Li+ migration and electronic conductivity coefficient of the LRMOs.

Resonance photoemission in pure and Tb doped CePO4 luminescent nanowires

The resonance photoemission spectroscopy (RPES) studies on pure and Terbium doped CePO4 nanowires (NWs) are reported here with the supporting characterizations using structural, optical and morphological properties. The NWs with varying Terbium (Tb) doping concentrations were synthesized using chemical synthesis route. Photoluminescence (PL) showed high PL emission intensity in the visible wavelength range indicating strong green luminescence due to efficient Ce3+ to Tb3+ energy transfer. The PL intensity increased up to a doping concentration of 15 wt% Tb3+, beyond which it decreased due to concentration quenching or cross-relaxation effect. Based on PL studies, pure, 5 wt% (the lowest doping amount) and 15 wt% (that shows the highest PL) doped samples were chosen for RPES studies. To understand the comparative contribution of Ce3+ and Ce4+ in the valence band, RPES measurements performed around the Ce 4d →4 f resonance threshold indicated strong presence of Ce 4 f states in pure CePO4 NWs, which reduced upon 5 wt% Tb doping in CePO4 NWs. At 15 wt% Tb3+ doping, the sample did not show resonance of Ce 4 f feature, which may be because Tb3+ ions have replaced Ce3+ ions in the CePO4 lattice. The results are crucial to understand the relative participation of Ce3+ and Ce4+ oxidation states in the valence band, which is an important factor in defining the optical properties of the material that determine the PL intensity.

Effect of Na2O on Verdet constant of Tb-doped magneto-optical glass

The terbium (Tb) ions doped magneto-optical glasses have attracted significant attention due to their high Verdet constant and excellent optical properties. In the Tb ions doped glass, +3 and + 4 valence states of Tb ions coexisted. However, only the +3 valence is favorable for magneto-optical performance. This study proposed a strategy to increase the concentration of Tb3+ ions (CTb3+) in the glass. The high optical basicity Na2O is beneficial for enhancing the Verdet constant. The lower melting temperature suppresses the oxidation of the Tb3+ to Tb4+, leading to the increase of CTb3+. As a result, the Verdet constant at 650 nm was achieved as high as 78.6 rad/(T·m), representing a 42.8 % improvement compared to glasses melted at 1450 °C. This approach avoids glass crystallization at high concentrations of Tb doping and provides a new solution for preparing high-performance magneto-optical glasses.

Coexistence of large anomalous Nernst effect and large coercive force in amorphous ferrimagnetic TbCo alloy films

The anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) has garnered significant interest for practical applications, particularly in energy harvesting and heat flux sensing. For these applications, it is crucial for the module to operate without an external magnetic field, necessitating a combination of a large ANE and a substantial coercive force. However, most materials exhibiting a large ANE typically have a relatively small coercive force. In our research, we have explored the ANE in amorphous ferrimagnetic TbCo alloy films, noting that the coercive force peaks at the magnetization compensation point (MCP). We observed that transverse Seebeck coefficients are amplified with Tb doping, reaching more than 1.0 μV/K over a wide composition range near the MCP, which is three times greater than that of pure Co. Our findings indicate that this enhancement is primarily due to direct conversion, a product of the transverse thermoelectric component and electrical resistivity. TbCo films present several significant advantages for practical use: a large ANE, the capability to exhibit both positive and negative ANE, the flexibility to be deposited on any substrate due to their amorphous nature, a low thermal conductivity, and a large coercive force. These attributes make TbCo films a promising material for advancing ANE-based technologies.

Enhanced luminescence of Tb doping nanoscintillators based on NaLuF4 host matrix for X-ray imaging

Scintillators are of significance for X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) imaging from scientific research to medical diagnostics application. Rare earth fluoride nanocrystals possess distinctive luminescent properties originated from the abundant energy level of lanthanide activators, showing potential applications as next-generation scintillators. Herein, high Z atomic rare earth element lutetium was chosen to synthesized NaLuF4-based nanoscintillators by Tb doping. Core-shell structure was fabricated to further enhance the XEL emission intensity. The NaLuF4-based nanoscintillators was demonstrated more efficient XEL emission with 3-folds increase compared to NaYF4 nanocrystals. NaLuF4 nanocrystals with a 25 mol% Tb doping and an inert shell coating exhibited excellent scintillation performance with detection limit as low as to 57.05 nGyair s−1. X-ray imaging demonstrated a high spatial resolution of 10.5 lp mm−1 using a scintillator film made from as-prepared NaLuF4-based nanoscintillators. Finally, such NaLuF4-based scintillators film have been applied in X-ray imaging application for a chip and a biological specimen. This study proposed an effective strategy to enhance XEL for rare earth fluoride, providing the ability for high-quality X-ray imaging.

Structural and Magnetic Impressions of Rare Earth Tb Doping on Ba–In Based Hexaferrites Prepared Through Sol–Gel Route for Magnetic Aspects

Structural and Magnetic Impressions of Rare Earth Tb Doping on Ba–In Based Hexaferrites Prepared Through Sol–Gel Route for Magnetic Aspects

Synergistic effects of Tb doping in long-persistent luminescence in Ca3Ga4O9: xBi3+, yZn2+ phosphors: Implications for novel phosphorescent materials

Long afterglow phosphors constitute an emerging class of compounds with wide application in several fields, from photonic to dosimetry, solar energy storage and photocatalysis. In this study, we synthesized and thoroughly characterized a new class of persistent emitting materials, Ca3Ga4O9: xBi3+, yZn2+, zTb3+. Through the utilization of X-ray and Raman spectroscopy, as well as optical measurements including static and time-resolved luminescence, thermoluminescence, and phosphorescence, the effects of the Tb concentration on the optical and structural properties of the material has been deeply studied. A suitable mechanism was proposed to account for the long afterglow emission, wherein Tb3+ and Bi3+ ions occupying the Ca2+ sites serve as recombination centers, facilitating the generation of oxygen defects. Zn2+ in the Ga3+ sites, contribute to the charge balance and generates hole traps in the matrix. The enduring phosphorescence persists for over 3 h following the cessation of UV irradiation, discernible to the naked eye in low-light conditions.

High heat-reflective and superhydrophobicity properties functional fabrics

Infrared reflective materials are pivotal in reducing bicarbon emission and have emerged as a global research focus. This study presents the preparation of kilogram-scale weakly Tb-doped cerium oxide nanocomposites, utilizing a green synthesis approach combining ball milling and high-temperature calcination. Integrating first-principles calculations with experiments analysis, we demonstrate that Tb doping enhances the band gap of cerium oxide, significantly improving its reflective properties. The resulting terbium-doped cerium oxide nanoparticles have good absorption in the visible range while maintaining excellent IR reflectance in the IR band. The near-infrared solar reflectance reaches 85.54 %. Additionally, we developed CeO2:Tb–SiO2 polyester fabrics using an impregnation method. These fabrics show superior IR infrared barrier efficiency (76.58 %) and a notable reduction in inner-surface temperature compared to standard polyester fabrics. The barrier efficiency is enhanced by 27.59 %, and the temperature difference reaches up to 6.1 °C, underscoring their exceptional thermal insulating properties. Moreover, the fabric exhibits remarkable superhydrophobicity, with a contact angle of 152.1°. This novel heat-reflective, self-cleaning, stable rare-earth nano-insulating coating along with its application in polyester fabrics, paves the way for effective temperature regulation. Its potential applications in fabric stain and sun protection are promising, contributing to energy saving and sustainable development.

Studies on the effect of Tb doping on the structural and optical properties of La2(WO4)3 nanoparticles

Pristine and terbium ion-doped lanthanum tungstate nanoparticles were synthesized by the chemical precipitation method. In the present work, the effect of Tb doping on the structural and optical properties of lanthanum tungstate nanoparticles is studied. The structure and surface morphology of the prepared samples were analysed using the X-ray diffraction technique and scanning electron microscopy technique. Both the samples exhibit monoclinic scheelite structure. The optical properties of the samples were studied using UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. By Tb ion doping, the optical bandgap value reduces and the colour of emission of the sample changes from blue to green region.