Synthesis of nanocrystalline rare earth oxides by glycothermal method

The reaction of yttrium acetate hydrate in 1,2-propanediol at 300 °C yielded a product containing acetate groups and glycol moieties. From this product, Y2O3 was directly crystallized at 400 °C without the formation of a carbonate oxide phase. The thus-obtained Y2O3 samples had a small crystallite size (2.2 nm) and significantly large surface area (280 m2/g). Other nanocrystalline rare earth (Gd–Yb) oxides were also obtained by this method.