Template Synthesis and Luminescence Properties of CePO4:Tb Nanotubes

In this paper, we report the synthesis of CePO4:Tb nanotubes by a solvothermal method using Ce(OH)CO3: Tb nanorods as both the physical and chemical templates. The formation of CePO4:Tb nanotubes involved a process of a solid-liquid interface chemical reaction in ethanol-water mixed solvent and a subsequent removal of unreacted Ce(OH)CO3:Tb sacrificial templates by acid treatment. It was found that the volume ratio between ethanol and water has some effect on the morphology of the final products. TEM and SEM images showed that the as-prepared nanotubes consist of nanoparticles/nanorods that preserve the basic morphology of the initial Ce(OH)CO3:Tb precursors. Furthermore, XRD patterns demonstrated phase evolution during the growth process. The photoluminescence properties were studied systematically, indicating that the as-prepared samples can serve as redox switches based on the reversible switching of the Ce4+/Ce3+ redox couple, which may be used as a biological label and probe.