Synthesis and luminescence properties of Eu or Tb doped Lu2O3 square nanosheets

Abstract We successfully synthesized the large-scale and uniform rare earth (Eu or Tb) doped lutetium compounds with square nanosheets using the doped Lu(OH)3 colloidal precursors by the hydrothermal method without any catalysts or templates at 140 °C and pH 13–14 for 24 h. The as-synthesized nanosheets have square shape morphology with the side lengths of 200–400 nm and thickness of ∼40 nm. We deduced a mechanism of “side wrapping” to describe the growth of the square nanosheets. The doped Lu2O3 phosphors with square nanosheets have been synthesized by a thermal decomposition method at 900 °C for 2 h using doped lutetium compounds as precursors.