Facile Synthesis of CePO₄ Nanowires Attached to CeO₂ Octahedral Micrometer Crystals and Their Enhanced Photoluminescence Properties

CePO₄ nanowires attached to CeO₂ octahedral micrometer crystals have been synthesized on a large scale using a higher molar ratio of Ce³⁺ and PO₄³⁻ by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The influences of synthetic parameters, such as reaction time, ratios, and types of reagents, on the morphologies and crystal structures of the resulting products have been investigated. The formation process of CePO₄ nanowires attached to CeO₂ octahedral micrometer crystals is time dependent: CePO₄ nanowires are formed first, and then CeO₂ grows into octahedral micrometer crystal. It is found that the photoluminescence properties of CePO₄ nanowires attached to CeO₂ octahedral micrometer crystals are enhanced strongly in comparison with pure CePO₄ nanowires due to the synergic effects of CePO₄ nanowires and CeO₂ octahedral micrometer crystals.