Uniform Lu2(C4H4O6)3·6H2O and Lu2O3:Ln (Ln = Eu3+, Tb3+) cauliflower-like microspheres: Facile synthesis and luminescent properties

Abstract Uniform Lu 2 (C 4 H 4 O 6 ) 3 ·6H 2 O cauliflower-like microspheres have been synthesized via a direct precipitation method at room temperature, without any templates and catalysts. The solvent-dependent morphological evolution and the formation mechanism of the Lu 2 (C 4 H 4 O 6 ) 3 ·6H 2 O cauliflower-like microspheres were investigated in detail. Furthermore, Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ -doped Lu 2 O 3 inherited their parents' morphology were obtained through a direct annealing process. The Lu 2 (C 4 H 4 O 6 ) 3 ·6H 2 O:Eu 3+ , Lu 2 O 3 :Eu 3+ exhibit strong red emission corresponding to the 5 D 0 - 7 F j transition of the Eu 3+ ions. The Lu 2 (C 4 H 4 O 6 ) 3 ·6H 2 O:Tb 3+ , Lu 2 O 3 :Tb 3+ exhibit strong green emission corresponding to the 5 D 4 - 7 F j transition of the Tb 3+ ions under UV light excitation. The samples may have potential applications in the fields, such as light-emitting phosphors, advanced flat panel displays, or biological labeling.