title: Self-templated and self-assembled synthesis of nano/microstructures of Gd-based rare-earth compounds: morphology control, magnetic and luminescence properties.
abstract: Nearly monodisperse NaGdF(4) and GdF(3) nanowires/nanorods as well as GdBO(3) microplates/microflowers have been successfully prepared by a designed chemical conversion approach using Gd(OH)(3) nanowires/nanorods as precursors via a facile hydrothermal approach. The Gd(OH)(3) nanowires/nanorods precursors were prepared through a simple hydrothermal process, which then served as sacrificial templates for the fabrication of NaGdF(4) and GdF(3) nanowires/nanorods as well as GdBO(3) microplates/microflowers by a hydrothermal process. The possible formation mechanisms for the corresponding Gd(3+)-based various products are presented in detail. We have investigated the magnetic properties of the NaGdF(4), GdF(3), and GdBO(3) samples. The as-obtained Eu(3+) doped NaGdF(4), GdF(3), and GdBO(3) samples show the strong characteristic red emission of Eu(3+) under ultraviolet excitation. Moreover, the luminescence colors of the Eu(3+) and Tb(3+) co-doped GdBO(3) samples can be tuned from red, through orange, yellow and green-yellow, to green by simply adjusting the relative doping concentrations of the activator ions under a single wavelength excitation, which might find potential applications in the fields such as light display systems and optoelectronic devices. More importantly, this simple method is expected to allow the large-scale production of other complex rare-earth compounds with controllable morphologies and sizes, and exploration of the morphology and phase-dependent photoluminescence properties.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resources Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022.
authors.forename: Zhenhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chunxia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dongmei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wenxing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaojiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Mengmeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin