Facile Synthesis Method for the Preparation of Large-scale Ultra-small GdPO4:Tb and GdPO4:Tb@LaPO4 Nanowires

A simple and efficient method is presented for the large-scale synthesis of ultra-small, wired-shaped GdPO4:Tb nanostructured phosphor material with an average diameter of 2-5 nm and typical average length of 100 nm. X-ray diffraction (X RD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, as well as FTIR, UV-vis, emission, and excitation spectral techniques were employed to examine the crystal phase, purity, morphology, surface chemistry, and optical and photoluminescence properties of the as-prepared nanoproducts. The TEM image clearly revealed the single-phase, highly crystalline, narrow-size-distributed, ultra-small, wire-shaped nanostructures, which was confirmed from the XRD pattern. Optical absorption spectra in the ultraviolet region show high absorbance because of the high solubility and colloidal stability in aqueous solvents. Surface coating of an undoped LaPO4 shell remarkably enhanced the crystallinity and photoluminescence properties of the nanowires (NWs). Core/shell NWs represent high emission and excitation intensity regardless of the core NWs because of a decrease in multiphoton relaxation pathways. It could be a highly suitable nanomaterial for optical bioprobes, biodetectors, and so on.