ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Morphology and optical properties of wet chemistry synthesized submicron CePO₄:Tb³⁺ hollow spheres

Chinh Dung Trinh, Diep Ngoc Le, An Thu Thi Truong, Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, Khang Viet Mai, and Chien Mau Dang

Institute for Nanotechnology, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

E-mail: tdchinh@vnuhcm.edu.vn

Received: 10 July 2023  Accepted: 5 February 2024

Abstract:

This study employed a wet chemistry route to synthesize submicron and luminescent CePO₄:Tb³⁺ hollow spheres with functional citric acid acting as a structure-directing agent. Citric acid amount, reaction time and temperature, and annealing temperature were found to adjust particles’ size and shape. Reaction time and temperature were the main factors with strong effectiveness to well-defined hollow sphere shape and inner structure of particles. The luminescent intensity of hollow spheres changed in parallel with the changes in their morphology. Results of the X-ray diffractometer obtained at various annealing temperatures showed the differences between the hexagonal and monoclinic crystalline phases. The green emission is accepted as an intrinsic ⁵D₄–⁷F₅ transition of [Tb³⁺] ion. The average lifetime of CePO₄:Tb³⁺ hollow spheres was considered quite long with strong luminescent, recorded from 0.98 to 1.12 ms, providing the ability for medical application with use as luminescent materials in the human body. Besides, CePO₄:Tb³⁺ Echinus-like morphology with a large surface area was produced, aiming to apply in the catalyst field.

Keywords: CePO4; Tb3+; Rare earth; Nanoparticles; Hollow spheres; Self-assembled

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-024-03361-1

Chemical Papers 78 (6) 3907–3918 (2024)