title: Rare earth fluoride nanoparticles obtained using charge transfer complexes: a versatile and efficient route toward colloidal suspensions and monolithic transparent xerogels.
abstract: Crystalline rare earth fluoride nanoparticles were synthesized by reacting rare earth ions with charge-transfer complexes, in solution, under mild conditions. An infrared study showed that these intermediate complexes are made up of solvent molecules (amide: N,N-dimethylformamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, etc.) and fluoride ions coming from hydrofluoric acid. The size and shape of the particles can be controlled through the process parameters. The complete study of the particles obtained through this process is carried out in this document, especially for the YbF(3) system. However, the process can easily be extended to the whole series of rare earth elements. We also show the ability of these objects to be transferred from an aqueous medium to an organic phase thanks to their surface modification. Finally, transparent monolithic xerogels of rare earth fluoride have been developed starting from the prepared colloidal solutions.
authors.affiliation: ENS Lyon, CNRS, université Lyon 1, Laboratoire de Chimie UMR 5182, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon cedex 07, France. frederic.chaput@ens-lyon.fr
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chaput
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lerouge
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tusseau-Nenez
authors.forename: Pierre-Eugène
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Coulon
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dujardin
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Denis-Quanquin
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mpambani
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parola