Thermo and photoluminescence properties of Eu3+ activated hexagonal, monoclinic and cubic gadolinium oxide nanorods

Different phases of Eu3+ activated gadolinium oxide (Gd (OH)3, GdOOH and Gd2O3) nanorods have been prepared by the hydrothermal method with and without cityl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant. Cubic Gd2O3:Eu (8 mol%) red phosphor has been prepared by the dehydration of corresponding hydroxide Gd(OH)3:Eu after calcinations at 350 and 600 °C for 3 h, respectively. When Eu3+ ions were introduced into Gd(OH)3, lattice sites which replace the original Gd3+ ions, a strong red emission centered at 613 nm has been observed upon UV illumination, due to the intrinsic Eu3+ transition between 5D0 and 7F configurations. Thermoluminescence glow curves of Gd (OH)3: Eu and Gd2O3:Eu phosphors have been recorded by irradiating with gamma source (60CO) in the dose range 10-60 Gy at a heating rate of 6.7 °C sec−1. Well resolved glow peaks in the range 42-45, 67-76, 95-103 and 102-125 °C were observed. When γ-irradiation dose increased to 40 Gy, the glow peaks were reduced and with increase in γ-dose (50 and 60 Gy) results the shift in first two glow peak temperatures at about 20 °C and a new shouldered peak at 86 °C was observed. It is observed that there is a shift in glow peak temperatures and variation in intensity, which is mainly attributed to different phases of gadolinium oxide. The trapping parameters namely activation energy (E), order of kinetics (b) and frequency factor were calculated using peak shape and the results are discussed.