Facile synthesis of LaAlO3 and Eu(II)-doped LaAlO3 powders by a solid-state reaction

Lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3) powder was prepared by a solid-state reaction between lanthanum(III) carbonate fluoride (LaFCO3) and alumina (Al2O3) powders at elevated temperatures, and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), 27Al magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The formation temperature (1000 °C) of LaAlO3 was much lower than that in other solid-state reactions. The Eu(II)-doped LaAlO3 powder was prepared by calcination of a mixture of Eu(III)-doped LaFCO3 and Al2O3 in a nitrogen atmosphere and characterized by powder XRD, and photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The intensity of blue emission due to Eu(II) ions in the LaAlO3 powder increased with increasing calcination temperature up to 1200 °C but decreased with further increases in temperature. The origin of the Eu(II) ions was explained by the thermal decomposition of EuF3.