Hydrothermal Synthesis and Luminescent Properties of Spherical LaPO₄:Ln³⁺ (Ln³⁺= Eu³⁺, Dy³⁺, Ce³⁺, Tb³⁺)

Abstract

Uniform LaPO 4 and LaPO 4 : Ln 3+ ( Ln 3+ = Eu 3+ , Dy 3+ , Ce 3+ , Tb 3+ ) microspheres have been selectively synthesized via a hydrothermal route, without using any catalyst, or template. X-ray diffraction, SEM, TEM, and photoluminescence spectroscopy were used to characterize the phase structure, morphology, and luminescence properties of the as-prepared samples. SEM results indicate that as-obtained samples have perfect spherical morphology with narrow size distribution. PL excitation and emission spectra demonstrated the LaPO 4 : Ln 3+ phosphors show strong light emissions with different colors coming from different activator ions under ultraviolet excitation, which might find potential applications in fields such as light phosphor powders and advanced flat panel displays.