Controlled Synthesis of Ln3+ (Ln = Tb, Eu, Dy) and V5+ Ion-Doped YPO4 Nano-/Microstructures with Tunable Luminescent Colors

YPO4 nano/microcrystals with multiform crystal phases and morphologies, such as hexagonal nano/submicroprisms, spherical-like nanoparticles, and nanorods with different length/diameter ratios as well as tetragonal nanospindles, have been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route. A series of controlled experiments indicate that the pH values in the initial solution, phosphorus sources, and the organic additive trisodium citrate (Cit(3-)) are responsible for crystal phase and shape determination of final products. It is found that Cit(3-) as a ligand and shape modifier has the dynamic effect by adjusting the growth rate of different facets under different experimental conditions, resulting in the formation of various geometries of the final products. The possible formation mechanisms for products with diverse architectures have been presented. More importantly, a systematic study on the photoluminescence of Ln(3+) (Ln = Tb, Eu, Dy) and V5+ ion-doped samples annealed at 500 degrees C has been explored in order to obtain the multicolor emission in a single host lattice. The ability to generate YPO4 nano/microstructures with diverse shapes and tunable emission colors provides a great opportunity for systematically evaluating their luminescence properties, as well as fully exploring their application in many types of color display fields.