Selective synthesis of tetragonal LaVO4 with different vanadium sources and its luminescence performance

Abstract Pure tetragonal phase LaVO 4 (t-LaVO 4 ) was prepared through a simple solution method with different vanadium sources (V 2 O 5 , NH 4 VO 3 , NaVO 3 ) in the absence of any templates or catalysts. The products were characterized by XRD, TEM, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies. Effects of pH value, crystallization time, crystallization temperature and vanadium source on the structure and shape of LaVO 4 were investigated. The results show that pure t-LaVO 4 can be obtained in wide ranges of pH value and crystallization temperature with different vanadium sources as starting material. And vanadium source will affect morphology of the obtained products. Nanoparticles with a diameter of about 30 nm have been obtained. Nanorods with different sizes and aspect ratio have been produced. A process to produce t-LaVO 4 was proposed and the process is thought to be feasible for any vanadium sources. A formation mechanism of t-LaVO 4 was discussed. A dissoluble complex of La, V, O is presumed as a key factor for producing t-LaVO 4 in this mechanism. Luminescence performances of the samples produced with different vanadium sources were also investigated.