Highly dispersible fluorescent CePO4:Tb nanorods synthesized by oleate-modified hydrothermal crystal growth method

Abstract

There are many methods that can be used to prepare lanthanide-ion-doped nanomaterials, such as solid state reactions, sol-gel techniques, hydroxide precipitation, hydrothermal synthesis, spray pyrolysis, laser-heated evaporation and combustion synthesis, etc. We developed a novel solution process named "oleate-modified hydrothermal growth method,"and reported that well crystallized CeO2 and YVO4 nanoparticles exhibiting amphipathic property were successfully synthesized by this process. In the present study, we fabricated CePO4:Tb nano-particles. The obtained particles were nanorod in shape, 5 nm in diameter and 30 nm in length. Their size, crystallinity, fluorescent property were compared with those of samples fabricated by normal hydrothermal method.