Fabrication and properties of terbium phosphate nanorods
Thu Huong Tran, Kim Anh Tran, Thi Khuyen Hoang, Thu Hien Pham and Quoc Minh Le
Abstract
Recently, luminescent nanomaterials with one-dimensional (1D) structured form have been extensively investigated as fluorescent label agents in biology. Among them, 1D nanostructured terbium compounds (for example terbium phosphate) have attracted great attention due to their high-emission efficiency in water. In this report, terbium phosphate nanorods were successfully prepared by hydrothermal method in autoclave for the first time. This method is a simple one, which permits obtaining large-scale, uniform and pure product. The size of the rods can be controlled precisely. The nanorods have diameters from 15 to 50 nm, and lengths from 300 to 500 nm. Based on the effects of change of pH values to the size, crystalline structure and morphology of terbium phosphate nanorods, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) data of the as-synthesized samples have been elucidated. The photoluminescent (PL) spectra of TbPO4 nanorods have been measured at room temperature under ultraviolet excitation and show four high luminescence main peaks at 490, 545, 585 and 620 nm
