Structural phase and morphology control of tetragonal and hexagonal YPO4:Eu nanoflakes for tunable luminescence properties

Eu3+-doped tetragonal and hexagonal YPO4 nanocrystals with different phase structures and morphologies were successfully synthesized by a solvothermal method. It was found that the pH value is a crucial factor in determining the phase structures and their morphologies of YPO4:Eu nanocrystals. The crystal structure and the properties of the Eu3+-doped YPO4 nanocrystals were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, UV–Vis spectroscopy.