Photoluminescent properties of Eu3+ doped electrospun CeO2 nanofibers

• The CeO2 nanofibers and that doped with Eu3+ were prepared.
• The photoluminescence properties of CeO2 (CeO2:Eu3+) nanofibers were investigated.
• The CeO2:Eu3+ (Eu% = 0.67 mol.%, 700 °C) has a large intensity of the luminescence peaks between 550 and 650 nm.

In this study, CeO2 nanofibers and that doped with Eu3+ were prepared via a facile electrospinning route and annealed at different temperatures ranging from 500 to 900 °C. Their structures were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Photoluminescence properties of the nanofibers were studied in detail. It was found that the nanofibers with Eu% concentration of 0.67 mol.% and annealed at 700 °C exhibited the highest intensities of the luminescence peaks between 550 and 650 nm.