Large‐Scale Synthesis of Single‐Crystalline RE₂O₃ (RE=Y, Dy, Ho, Er) Nanobelts by a Solid–Liquid‐Phase Chemical Route

Abstract

Yttrium-group heavy rare-earth sesquioxide (RE(2)O(3), RE=Y, Dy, Ho, Er) nanobelts were successfully fabricated by thermolysis of solid RE(NO(3))(3)x H(2)O in a dodecylamine/1-octadecene mixed solvent system. The synthetic principle is based on separating the nucleation and growth processes by utilizing the poor solubility of RE(NO(3))(3)chi H(2)O in the solvent mixture and the heat-transportation difference between the liquid and solid. By using dodecylamine, RE(2)O(3) nanobelts can be readily obtained. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that the synthesized RE(2)O(3) nanobelts are body-centered cubic and crystalline. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selective-area electron diffraction (SAED), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) demonstrate that the synthesized RE(2)O(3) compounds possess regular geometric structure (beltlike) with perfect crystallinity. Preliminary experimental results prove that the dodecylamine plays a key role in the formation of RE(2)O(3) nanobelts and cannot be replaced by other surfactants. Furthermore, this method can be extended to the synthesis of RE(2)O(3) nanobelt/metal nanocrystal nanocomposites and ABO(3) (A=Y, Dy, Ho, Er; B=Al) and A(3)B(5)O(12) (A=Y, Dy, Ho, Er; B=Al)-type ternary oxide nanobelts, using mixed-metal nitrate salts in the correct stoichiometry instead of single rare-earth nitrates.

Controllable Synthesis of Y2O3 Microstructures for Application in Cataluminescence Gas Sensing

“…[2] Yttrium oxide and its derivatives are attractive materials for their unique optical and electronic qualities and good catalytic properties towards many reactions, and have been used in a broad range of fields, such as optics and optoelectronics, [3] advanced ceramics, [4] chemical sensors, [5] catalysis, [6] and energy conversion and storage devices. [7] In the last decade, various shapes of solid materials, such as nanorods, nanotubes, nanoplates, microspheres, nanopolyhedra, and other polymorphic forms, have been synthesized by a variety of techniques such as solution-based sol-gel processing, [8] combustion, [9] microemulsion techniques, [10] co-precipitation, [11] hydrothermal/solvothermal synthesis, [12] thermolysis, [13] electrochemical methods, [14] solid/liquid-phase chemical routes, [15] and combinations thereof. Among the methods used in nanomaterials synthesis, owing to its great chemical flexibility and synthetic reliability, [16] hydrothermal synthesis has emerged as a powerful technology to prepare high-quality anisotropic architectures, such as nanorods, nanowires, nanobelts, nanotubes, and nanosheets, as well as even more complex fullerene-like Y 2 O 3 .…”

Y2O3:Eu3+ hexagonal microprisms: Fast microwave synthesis and photoluminescence properties

“…A variety of methods, such as gas-phase condensation [16], coprecipitation method [17], electrochemical synthesis [18], sol-gel [19], pyrolysis [20], solid-to liquid-phase chemical route [21], combustion method [22], and hydrothermal/solvothermal method [23][24][25][26][27][28][29], have been employed to tailor the morphology and size of Y 2 O 3 and doped Y 2 O 3 . To date, various morphologies of Y 2 O 3 and doped Y 2 O 3 such as nanotubes [18,23], nanowires or nanorods [4,24], hollow microspheres [20,25], nanobelts [21], nanodisks [26], trilobal microprisms [27], nano/micro-sheets [24], microspheres [28], have been prepared. Recently, spindle-like nanorod bundles, microtubes, microprisms, microspheres and shuttle-like microcrystals of and Y(OH) 3 and Y 2 O 3 have been prepared by our group [29][30][31][32].…”

Rare‐Earth Oxide Nanostructures: Rules of Rare‐Earth Nitrate Thermolysis in Octadecylamine

“…[7][8][9][10][11] Recently, the synthetic strategies for rare-earth oxide nanocrystals with various morphologies including nanoplates, nanowires, nanobelts, and nanodisks have been greatly developed. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] For instance, in 2004, plate-shaped Gd 2 O 3 nanocrystals were synthesized through solution-phase decomposition of gadolinium acetate precursors in the presence of both coordinating and noncoordinating solvents by Cao. [18] Yan and co-workers also reported a general synthesis of rare-earth oxide nanocrystals by thermolysis of their benzoylacetonate complexes in oleic acid/oleylamine solvents in 2005.…”

“…Keywords: nanostructures · rareearth nitrates · rare-earth oxides · synthesis · thermolysis group heavy rare-earth sesquioxide nanobelts were also fabricated through thermolysis of their solid salts in a dodecylamine/1-octadecene mixed-solvent system by Xu and coworkers. [23] It is well known that, with the advantages of versatility and reliability, the thermal decomposition method based on organic solvent systems has been regarded as one of the most important technologies for the preparation of various materials including metals, semiconductors, transition metal oxides, and rare-earth oxides. [24][25][26][27][28][29] However, either the precursors are complex or mixed solvents are used, which limits the development of this powerful method.…”

“…Recently, the synthetic strategies for rare‐earth oxide nanocrystals with various morphologies including nanoplates, nanowires, nanobelts, and nanodisks have been greatly developed 12–23. For instance, in 2004, plate‐shaped Gd 2 O 3 nanocrystals were synthesized through solution‐phase decomposition of gadolinium acetate precursors in the presence of both coordinating and noncoordinating solvents by Cao 18.…”