Electrical and photoluminescent behaviors of La(OH)3 nanobelts doped with Ce3+ and Er3+

We report here the electrical and photoluminescent behaviors of lanthanum hydroxide [La(OH)3] nanobelts doped with Ce3+ and Er3+. It is found that both the electrical conductivity and the fluorescence properties of the doped La(OH)3 can be significantly improved in comparison with their undoped counterparts. Microstructural and morphological aspects of La(OH)3 nanobelts before and after the doping process were examined by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Experimental results are discussed on the basis of classical semiconductor theory.