The synthesis and photoluminescence property of YPO4:Eu3+ hollow microspheres

• Our successful preparation of hollow YPO4:Eu3+ microspheres.
• Hollow spheres were obtained using MF templates.
• The template can be removed without additional calcination or etching process.
• The products exhibit orange-red emission of Eu3+.

The YPO4:Eu3+ hollow microspheres have been successfully prepared via a simple two-step route. First, the core–shell structured MF@Y(OH)CO3:Eu precursor was fabricated by a urea-based homogeneous precipitation method using colloidal melamine formaldehyde (MF) microspheres as template. Then the Y(OH)CO3:Eu precursor was transformed into hollow YPO4:Eu3+ by a subsequent solvothermal method, and MF microspheres were dissolved in the solvent simultaneously. The as-prepared hollow microspheres were well characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and luminescence spectroscopy. It is found that the template can be removed without additional calcination or etching process. The YPO4 hollow microspheres may have potential applications in drug delivery, cell biology and diagnosis.