Sodium citrate (Na3Cit)-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of twinned hemisphere shaped La2(MoO4)3:Eu3+ phosphors

Abstract

La₂(MoO₄)₃:Eu³⁺phosphors with a uniform twinned hemisphere morphology have been successfully synthesized by a sodium citrate (Na₃Cit) mediated hydrothermal approach. The crystal structure has been determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and the microstructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The controlled experiments indicate the reaction temperature and reaction time are responsible for shape determination of the La₂(MoO₄)₃:Eu³⁺ products. The possible formation mechanism for these particles is presented by increasing the reaction time. The emission spectra of the samples at different reaction times exhibited intense emission bands at different wavelengths. Under UV light excitation, La₂(MoO₄)₃:Eu³⁺ emits bright red luminescence. This property shows that these materials have potential applications in lighting and display fields.