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Controlled Synthesis and Upconverted Avalanche Luminescence of Cerium(III) and Neodymium(III) Orthovanadate Nanocrystals with High Uniformity of Size and Shape
journal contribution
posted on 2008-02-13, 00:00 authored by Hong Deng, Shihe Yang, Si Xiao, Hong-Mei Gong, Qu-Quan WangWe report on controlled synthesis of uniform LnVO4 (Ln = Ce and Nd) nanocrystals (NCs) with
square-plate and H-shaped morphologies in nanosized reverse microemulsion reactors, via a facile solvo/hydrothermal strategy. The NCs were thoroughly characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron
microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), infrared
absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. Possible mechanisms of the rare-earth orthovanadate
NC growth and size and shape evolution are proposed. A unique upconverted avalanche luminescence
property pertaining to the NCs has been discovered, systematically studied, and mechanistically discussed.
Our work combines synthetic and optical studies of the NCs and lays a foundation for reinventing their
applications in optoelectronics among others.