Three-dimensional flowerlike Lu 2 O 3 and Lu 2 O 3 :Ln 3+ (Ln ) Eu, Tb, Dy, Pr, Sm, Er, Ho, Tm) microarchitectures have been successfully synthesized via ethylene glycol (EG)-mediated hydrothermal method followed by a subsequent heat treatment process. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectra, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrometric analysis, ion chromatogram analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectra, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectra as well kinetic decays, and cathodoluminescence spectra were used to characterize the samples. Hydrothermal temperature, EG, and CH 3 COONa play critical roles in the formation of the lutetium oxide precursor microflowers. The reaction mechanism and the self-assembly evolution process have been proposed. The as-formed lutetium oxide precursor could transform to Lu 2 O 3 with their original flowerlike morphology and slight shrinkage in the size after postannealing process. The as-obtained flowerlike Lu 2 O 3 :Ln 3+ samples show strong light emission with different colors corresponding to different Ln 3+ ions under ultraviolet-visible light excitation and lowvoltage electron beams excitation, which have potential applications in fluorescent lamps and field emission displays.
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