Glycothermal synthesis and photoluminescent properties of Ce3+-doped YBO3 mesocrystals

We report a glycothermal synthesis of Ce3+-doped YBO3 mesocrystals and their Ce3+-concentration dependence of particulate and photoluminescent properties. Submicrometer-sized YBO3:Ce3+ disk-like particles with Ce3+ concentrations of 0-3 at.% were formed from trimethyl borate and acetates of yttrium and cerium(III) via a glycothermal reaction at 300 degrees C for 2 h in 1,4-butanediol. The size of the particles decreased from similar to 1.5 mu m to similar to 150 nm with increasing the Ce3+ concentration up to 1 at.%. Selected area electron diffraction revealed that each disk-like particle was a mesoaystal, i.e., an assembly of nanocrystals with a uniform crystallographic orientation, irrespective of the Ce3+ concentration. The particles showed blue emission through 5d-4f transitions of Ce3+ under near-UV excitation. Concentration quenching of the Ce3+ emission for the glycothermally-prepared YBO3:Ce3+ started from a lower Ce3+ concentration than that of solid-state-prepared bulk YBO3:Ce3+, indicating an inhomogeneous distribution of Ce3+ ions in the mesocrystals. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights