Microwave synthesis of NaLa(MoO4)2 microcrystals and their near-infrared luminescent properties with lanthanide ion doping (Er3+, Nd3+, Yb3+)

The doubled metal molybdate NaLa(MoO4)2 microcrystals with various morphologies have been synthesized using microwave assisted hydrothermal method without any organic additives or surfactants. Its morphology and size can be tuned by the initial concentrations of the reagents and the reaction temperatures. Remarkably, the morphologies were the rod, the highly branched dendrite, the ellipsoid-like, when the initial concentration of the precursors was increased from 0.01 to 0.05 M at 180 °C; the morphology can be changed from the octahedral bipyramid to the dendrite when the reaction temperature was increased from 100 to 180 °C at 0.02 M of the reagents. The luminescent properties of the lanthanide ion (Nd3+, Er3+, Yb3+) doped NaLa(MoO4)2 microcrystals were studied, and all of them exhibited strong near-infrared luminescence emissions.