Structural, spectroscopic, and magnetic properties of Eu3+-doped GdVO4 nanocrystals synthesized by a hydrothermal method.
New interesting aspects of the spectroscopic properties, magnetism, and method of synthesis of gadolinium orthovanadates doped with Eu(3+) ions are discussed. Gd(1-x)Eu(x)VO4 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.2) bifunctional luminescent materials with complex magnetic properties were synthesized by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. Products were formed in situ without previous precipitation. The crystal structures and morphologies of the obtained nanomaterials were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Crystallographic data were analyzed using Rietveld refinement. The products obtained were nanocrystalline with average grain sizes of 70-80 nm. The qualitative and quantitative elemental composition as well as mapping of the nanocrystals was proved using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The spectroscopic properties of red-emitting nanophosphors were characterized by their excitation and emission spectra and luminescence decays. Magnetic measurements were performed by means of vibrating sample magnetometry. GdVO4 and Gd0.8Eu0.2VO4 exhibited paramagnetic behavior with a weak influence of antiferromagnetic couplings between rare-earth ions. In the substituted sample, an additional magnetic contribution connected with the population of low-lying excited states of europium was observed.
Department of Rare Earths, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University , Grunwaldzka 6, 60-780 Poznań, Poland.
Agata
A
Szczeszak
Tomasz
T
Grzyb
Zbigniew
Z
Śniadecki
Nina
N
Andrzejewska
Stefan
S
Lis
Michał
M
Matczak
Grzegorz
G
Nowaczyk
Stefan
S
Jurga
Bogdan
B
Idzikowski
D005063:Europium / Q000737:chemistry*; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry*; D060328:Magnetic Phenomena; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013696:Temperature; D014638:Vanadates / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D014638:Vanadates; D005063:Europium; D005682:Gadolinium