La2O2CO3:Tb3+ one-dimensional nanorod with green persistent luminescence

Trivalent terbium-doped oxycarbonate (La2O2CO3:1%Tb3+) one-dimensional nanorods are synthesized via a facile precipitation method. The average length of La2O2CO3:1%Tb3+ nanorods is 184.5 nm. Doping Tb3+ ions led to several visible emission peaks at 486 nm, 542 nm, and 587 nm under excitation of 258 nm wavelength light. The green afterglow at 542 nm can be detected almost 600 s after ceasing the UV-light irradiation. It can be calculated that the La2O2CO3:1%Tb3+ sample has one shallow trap depth (E = 0.848 eV) by measuring the thermoluminescence. All the results indicate that a simple precipitation method can synthesize a one-dimensional nanorod with green persistent luminescence.