LuVO4:Ln3+ (Ln = Sm, Eu, Dy, Er and Tm) with high uniform size and morphology: Controlled synthesis, growth mechanism and optical properties

Uniform nanoerythrocyte-like, dodecahedron and spindle-like LuVO4 had been successfully synthesized on a large scale by a simple complex agent assisted hydrothermal method. The nanoerythrocyte-like LuVO4 was characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence. The possible formation mechanism of the LuVO4 with different morphologies were proposed. The LuVO4: Ln(3+) (Ln = Sm, Eu, Dy, Er and Tm) phosphors show strong light emissions with different colors due to the different activator ions under ultraviolet light excitation or low-voltage electron beam excitation and the LuVO4:Sm3+ samples with different complex agents exhibit interesting morphology-dependent optical properties. The complex-agents-assisted hydrothermal synthesis provides us one method to explore the special morphology of nano/micromaterials and the new optical materials.