A simple way to synthesize well-dispersed Gd2O3 nanoparticles onto reduced graphene oxide sheets

High quality and dispersible rare-earth oxides (RE2O3) nanocrystals have drawn great attention because of their potential applications in the optical, electrical and biological fields. Here, we demonstrated a simple approach for the production of gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles onto the surface of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets by the chemical and the subsequent thermal reduction reactions. The residual oxygen functionalities derived from the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) played an important role to complex Gd2O3 nanoparticles with RGO sheets. And the as-synthesized Gd2O3 nanoparticles are uniform and well-dispersed with their particle size in the range of 10–50 nm. The approach would open up a new window for simple and effective synthesis of high quality RE2O3 in nano scale.

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► A simple approach to obtain Gd2O3 nanoparticles onto RGO sheets.
► Gd2O3 nanoparticles could be bonded with RGO by the residual COH or COOH groups.
► The as-prepared Gd2O3 nanoparticles are well-dispersed and in the size of 10–50 nm.