Structural and photoluminescence studies of Eu3+ doped zinc oxide nanorods prepared by precipitation method

Trivalent europium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Eu3+) nanocrystals were synthesized via room temperature chemical co-precipitation and they were systematically characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The as-synthesized samples were found to have hexagonal wurtzite coexisted with the intermediate Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O phase, while the single hexagonal phase was facilitated due to the calcinations. The as obtained samples were broadly composed of nanoflakes while the highly crystalline nanorods were formed due to low temperature annealing of the as-synthesized samples. The crystallite size of the nanoflakes and nanorods (40-90 nm) were extracted from the XRD pattern which was found to be consistent with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. The photolumi-nescence (PL) spectra of nanophosphors showed bright red and orange emissions at 618 and 594 nm respectively with efficient broad blue green emission spectrum due to ZnO lattice. Further, a good energy transfer process from ZnO host to Eu3+ was observed in PL emission and excitation spectra of Eu3+ doped ZnO ions. In all, the present nanophosphors were found to have great potentiality for bio-applications.     

Lanthanum and boron co-doped BiVO4 with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity for degradation of methyl orange

BiVO4 photocatalysts co-doped with La and B were prepared by sol-gel method using citric acid as chelate.The samples were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Brumauer-Emmett-Teller(BET),UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra(DRS) and the photocatalytic activity was investigated by photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange(MO).The results showed that boron and lanthanum ions incorporated into the lattice of BiVO4,and co-doping led to more surface oxygen vacancies,high specific surface areas,small crystallite size,narrow band gap and intense light absorbance in visible region.And the doped La(III) ions could help the separation of photogenerated electrons.Compared with BiVO4 and B-BiVO4,the photocatalytic activity of La-B co-doped BiVO4 was remarkably improved due to the synergistic effects of the co-doped ions.The degradation rate of MO in 60 min was 98.4% when La doping content was 0.05 mol.%,which was much higher than that of pure BiVO4(20%) and B-BiVO4(37%).     

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange by polyoxometalates supported on yttrium-doped TiO_2

A series of novel photocatalysts, H3PW12O40-Y-TiO2 nanocomposites with different H3PW12O40 loading levels (10%-40%) were prepared by impregnation method. And the Y-TiO2 support, doped with yttrium, was synthesized via sol-gel technique. The prepared catalysts were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The processes allowed obtaining Keggin structure and crystallized anatase with large BET surface area as well as uniform distribution. The effects of H3PW12O40 loadings, catalyst dose, initial pH and concentration of dye solution on the degradation kinetics of methyl orange under UV light (λ≥365 nm) were discussed. Kinetics studies showed that the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange fitted the apparent first-order reaction. Methyl orange was totally degraded in 21 min under optimum conditions: 20% loading, 0.03 g dose and pH 1.0. The catalyst was stable and easily to be separated from reaction system for recovery.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activities of Nd-doped TiO_2 under visible light using a facile sol-gel method

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles modified with neodymium in the range of 1 mol% to 5 mol% were prepared with template-free sol-gel method.The structures of obtained samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction analysis.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.The photocatalytic activity of the obtained samples was evaluated by photodegradation of methyl orange in aqueous solution under ultraviolet-visible(λ 350 nm) and visible(λ 420 nm) irradiation.The experimental results show that the 1 mol% Nd-doped TiO_2 exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity,of which the degradation can reach to 96.5% under visible irradiation.According to the XRD results,the pristine samples are combined with anatase TiO_2 and rutile TiO_2.while the Nd-doped TiO_2 samples are anatase TiO_2 only.This transformation has made an obvious promotion of photocatalyst activity after modification.     

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of laponite pillared by CeO2 modified TiO2

The laponite pillared by the CeO2 modified TiO2 (Ce-Ti-lap) were prepared by microwave intercalation reaction with laponite as the layered clay, tetrabutyl titanate and cerium chloride as the Ce-Ti composite pillaring agent, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brumauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area. The photocatalytic activities of Ce-Ti-lap were investigated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The results showed that Ce and Ti could be introduced to...     

Combustion synthesis,characterization and luminescence properties of barium aluminate phosphor

The blue-green emitting Eu2+ and Nd3+ doped polycrystalline barium aluminate(BaAl2O4:Eu2+,Nd3+) phosphor, was prepared by a solution-combustion method at 500 oC without a post-annealing process. The characteristic variation in the structural and luminescence properties of the as-prepared samples was evaluated with regards to a change in the Ba/Al molar ratio from 0.1:1 to 1.4:1. The morphologies and the phase structures of the products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), while the optical properties were investigated using ultra-violet(UV) and photoluminescence(PL) spectroscopy, respectively. The XRD and TEM results revealed that the average crystallite size of the BaAl2O4:Eu2+,Nd3+ phosphor was about 70 nm. The broad-band UV-excited luminescence of the phosphors was observed at λmax=500 nm due to transitions from the 4f65d1 to the 4f7 configuration of the Eu2+ ion. The PL results indicated that the main peaks in the emission and excitation spectrum of phosphor particles slightly shifted to the short wavelength due to the changes in the crystal field due to the structure changes caused by the variation in the quantity of the Ba ions in the host lattice.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ce-doped ZnO nanopowders synthesized by combustion method

Facile and fast combustion method was used to synthesize Zn O and Ce-doped Zn O(CZO) nanocrystalline powders photocatalysts with different cerium concentrations(0.5 wt.%–10.0 wt.%) followed by calcination at 700 oC for 3 h. The prepared samples were characterized by a variety of characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray diffraction(EDX), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), UV-visible spectroscopy, BET surface area analyser and photoluminescence spectroscopy(PL), to study the crystal structure, surface morphology, chemical composition and optical properties. It was observed from XRD results that synthesized powders had hexagonal wurtzite structure with the smallest crystallite size about 13 nm. Absorption spectra showed that cerium doping enhanced the light absorption properties towards the visible light region. Photoluminescence spectra for Ce-doped Zn O samples exhibited relatively weak near band edge(NBE) emission peaks as compared to that of pristine Zn O. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples were evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B(Rh B) under UV light and visible light(λ≥420 nm) irradiation. The textile mill effluent containing organic matters was also treated under sunlight using photocatalysis and the reduction in the chemical oxygen demand(COD) of the treated effluent revealed a complete destruction of the organic molecules along with colour removal. The results showed that the CZO photocatalyst doped with 3.0 wt.% cerium exhibited four times enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure Zn O. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to extended visible light absorption and inhibition of the electron-hole pair’s recombination.     

Microwave electromagnetic and absorbing properties of Dy3+doped MnZn ferrites

Dy3+ doped Mn-Zn ferrites Mn0.3Zn0.7Fe2-xDyxO4(x=0,0.01,0.02,0.03,0.04)were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction.The crystal structure,surface morphology and electromagnetic properties of the calcined samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and network analyzer(Agilent 8722ET).All the XRD patterns showed the single phase of the spinel-type ferrite without other intermediate when x≤0.03.The average crystallite size was about 44?56 nm.The mi...     

Preparation of La MnO_3/graphene thin films and their photocatalytic activity

A novel photocatalyst of La MnO3/graphene thin films with the perovskite-type was synthesized by sol-gel process assisted with spin-coating methods on glass substrates.The prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), Brumauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) surface area analyzer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.Results showed that after the introduction of graphene, the perovskite structure was unchanged and the size of La MnO3 particles was about 22 nm, which uniformed growth in graphene sheet.Determination of contact angle indicated that the contact angle of glass substrate decreased and the hydrophilicity improved after treating with H2SO4 and APTES.The UV-Vis photocatalytic activity of the photocatalysts was evaluated by the degradation of diamine green B.La MnO3/graphene thin films had better photocatalytic ability than La MnO3 and Ti O2 films.The obtained k was 0.5627 and 0.3441 h–1 corresponding to La MnO3/graphene films and Ti O2 films, respectively.     

Fabrication of La,Ce co-doped ZnO nanorods for improving photodegradation of methylene blue

La,Ce co-doped ZnO nanorods(ZnLC) were synthesized through a one-step solvothermal route.The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,field-emission scanning electron microscopy,energy dispersive X-ray,transmission electron microscopy,UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photo luminescence spectroscopy.The La and Ce doping enhanced the visible light absorption ability of ZnLC and a red shift was detected for ZnLC.Under simulated solar light irradiation,the...     

A controllable hydrothermal method to prepare La（OH）3 nanorods using new precursors

Using the hydrothermal method, lanthanum hydroxide nanorods were synthesized by the reaction of La Cl3·7H2O, ethylenediamine, and hydrazine. According to SEM results, ethylenediamine and hydrazine with p H management could control the particle growth and played an important role in formation of lanthanum hydroxide nanorods. The morphology and microstructure of the obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD) spectra, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX), Fourier transformed infrared(FTIR) spectrum, transmission electron microscopy(TEM), and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Furthermore, the effects of the molar ratio of the precursors as well as the reaction temperature and time on the morphology and particle size of the products were investigated.     

Spectroscopic properties of Eu~(3+) doped YBO_3 nanophosphors synthesized by modified co-precipitation method

Y1-xEuxBO3 nanophosphors were synthesized by a modified co-precipitation method.The structure of the obtained nanocrystals was determined by X-ray diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) .The average crystallite size was calculated from the full-width at half-maximum(FWHM) of the diffraction peaks by the Scherrer equation.The average particles size was 25±10 nm.The spectroscopic properties of the Y1-xEuxBO3 nanoborates were characterized by excitation and emission spectra under UV and VUV...     

Influence of concentration and sintering temperature on luminescence properties of Eu^3＋：SnO2 nanocrystallites

The nanopowders of SnO2 doped with different Eu3+ concentrations were synthesized using the modified Pechini method. The Eu3+ concentrations were high above solubility limit. The average size of crystallites was controlled by the sintering temperatures. The structure and the morphology of obtained powders were examined using the XRD (X-ray diffraction) and TEM (transmission electron microscopy) analyses. The Eu2Sn2O7 phase separation was observed at relatively high concentration of Eu3+ ions. The ZnS:Ag micropowders were mixed with the Eu3+:SnO2 powders and their normalized emission was used to measure a relative efficiency of Eu3+:SnO2. The photoluminescence spectra of mixed powders were measured in function of Eu3+ concentration and average size of nanocrystallites. The reference peak method was used for comparison of intensities of the samples and selection of optimal one. The influence of the average grain size and Eu3+ concen-tration on the phosphor’s efficiency was discussed. The presented results confirmed the rightness of synthesis of the Eu3+:SnO2 in form of nanocrystalites with relatively high Eu3+ concentration.     

Preparation of Nd_2O_3 nanorods in SDBS micelle system

Well-crystallized Nd2O3 nanorods were prepared in the aqueous solution containing neodymium nitrate, sodium hydroxide（dissolved in ethanol） and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate（SDBS）. One dimensional nanorods of neodymium hydroxide were synthesized first, which was then placed at different temperatures（600 and 800 ℃） in a calcar for 10 h to form Nd2O3 nanorods. The morphology and crystal structure of the products were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field emission transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence spectrometry. By using SDBS micelles as a template, this method manufactured uniform morphology of hexagonal one-dimensional neodymium oxide nanorods with a diameter ranging from 20 to 70 nm. The length of the nanorods increased with prolonged reaction time.     

Solvothermal fabrication and luminescent properties of Eu2＋/Ce3＋ doped barium lithium fluoride

Phosphors of BaLiF3 doped with Eu or/and Ce were solvothermally prepared at 200°C for 5d and characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and environment scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The excitation and emission spectra of the rare earth ions doped BaLiF3 were measured by fluorescence spectroscopy and the effects of Ce3+ ions on the luminescence of Eu2+ ions were investigated. In the codoped Eu2+ and Ce3+ system, the emission intensity of Eu2+ ion gradually increased with the Ce3+ concentration increasing, and the enhancement of Eu2+ fluorescence was due to efficient energy transfer from Ce3+ to Eu2+ in the host.     

Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2/V2O5 Composite Catalyst Doped with Rare Earth Ions

TiO2/V2O5 catalyst doped with rare earth ions was prepared by sol-gel method. Titanium tetrapropoxide and vanadium pentoxide were used as precursor of the composite catalyst and rare earth ions were used as dopant. The crystal phases, crystalline sizes, microstructure, absorption spectra of doped composite catalyst were studied by XRD, EDS, FT-IR and UV-Vis. Photoactivity of the prepared catalyst under ultraviolet irradiation were evaluated by degradation of methyl orange （MO） in aqueous solution. It is shown that the prepared catalyst is composed of anatase and futile. The rare earth ions are highly dispersed in composite catalyst. All the doped catalysts appear higher photocatalytic activity than TiO2/V2O5 catalyst and catalyst doped with Ce^4＋ present the best activity to MO.     

Preparation, spectral characteristics and photocatalytic activity of Eu~(3+)-doped WO_3 nanoparticles

Eu3+-WO3 nanoparticles were successfully prepared by the modified method of Pechini. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. Results showed that the Eu3+-WO3 nanoparticles, which had an average external diameter of 10-25 nm, were composed of the different shapes of puncheon and catenary after being pretreated by pH, pressure vessal, and surfactant. Moreover, ...     

Synthesis and photocatalytic property of Ce-doped SnO₂

Pure SnO2 and Ce-doped(1%,4%,7%,10% in mass ratio) SnO2 powders were prepared by a simple sol-gel method.The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) specific surface area analyzers.Results showed that the 7% Ce-doped sample has a particle size of 0.1-0.3 μm with a narrow particle size distribution while the pure SnO2 was consisted of large agglomerated particles with a diameter up to several micrometers.When used as the catalyst to degrade methyl orange(MO),the 7% Ce-doped sample showed best photocatalytic property.These properties can be attributed to the large surface area and small particle size of the 7% Ce-doped sample.     

Crystal structure,morphology and luminescent properties of rare earth ion-doped SrHPO4 nanomaterials

Undoped and rare earth ions(Eu3+, Ce3+, Tb3+) doped β-Sr HPO4 nanomaterials were successfully prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. The crystal structure, morphology and luminescent properties were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), photoluminescence(PL) spectra and luminescence decay curves. The results indicated that the undoped and rare earth ions doped Sr HPO4 nanomaterials(the doping concentration was not above 7%) were well crystallized, with the same crystal structure(β-Sr HPO4). Nevertheless, the doping of rare earth ions could lead to the changing of morphology from nanoflakes to nanocrystals. Under the excitation of UV light, rare earth ions(Eu3+, Ce3+, Tb3+) doped β-Sr HPO4 nanocrystals exhibited the characteristic emission of Eu3+, Ce3+ and Tb3+ ions, respectively. The luminescence decay curves of β-Sr HPO4:Eu3+ and β-Sr HPO4:Ce3+,Tb3+ nanocrystals conformed to the double exponential fluorescence decay, and the average lifetimes were 1.14 and 4.12 ms, respectively. The luminescence decay curve of β-Sr HPO4:Ce3+ was fitted into a single exponential function, and the lifetime was about 0.78 ns.     

Synthesis,structure and luminescent properties of a new Vernier phase Lu7O6F9 doped by Eu^3＋ as potential scintillator with unique lath tube architecture

To explore novel nano-scintillator with a controllable architecture, pure and Eu3+ doped lutetium oxyfluoride(Lu7O6F9) powder were synthesized by combining mild hydrothermal method and solid state calcination approach. The products were all pure orthorhombic Vernier phase demonstrated by X-ray powder diffraction(XRD). The detailed crystal structure was also studied by Reitveld refinement. Lath-like microcrystals composed of nanoparticles with unique hollow tube of the products were supported by the images of scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). Excited by X-ray with W as the target, the pure product showed intense broad emission with the peak at about 400 nm suitable for modern photoelectric multiplier tube(PMT), while the Eu3+ doped sample transferred the incident energy to Eu3+ ions and gave strong 5D0→7Fj(j=0, 1, 2 and 4) emission, which fitted for imaging and labeling measurements. From the luminescent properties, both pure and Eu3+-doped products are potential excellent scintillator for X-ray imaging and other high energy detectors, and the pure product is also a good host candidate for rare earth doping.