Y2O3:Eu3+ microstructures: Hydrothermal synthesis and photoluminescence properties

Hexagonal microprisms of yttrium hydroxide (Y(OH)3) with tuned diameter and height have been successfully prepared for the first time via a facile hydrothermal process using sodium citrate as the shape modifying agent. Y(OH)3 microspheres with diameter of ca. 2.5 μm and microtubes with an average length about 13 μm, outer diameter about 3 μm and tube thickness about 800 nm were also obtained in current reaction systems. The possible formation mechanism for the Y(OH)3 microstructures was briefly proposed. Y2O3:Eu3+ (5%) microstructures with similar morphologies was obtained after thermal treatment of the as-prepared Y(OH)3:Eu3+ microstructures at 700 °C for 4 h. Results show that the relative emission intensity of the Y2O3:Eu3+ microprisms is about 8 times as those of the Y2O3:Eu3+ microtubes and microspheres under excitation of 259 nm ultraviolet light. The products were characterized by XRD, SEM, and EDS.