Formation and characterization of Lu silicate nanoparticles in amorphous SiO2

Reaction of nanocrystalline lutetium oxide with amorphous SiO2 was studied at 600–1200 °C with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), FT-Raman spectroscopy and Yb3+ emission spectroscopy. It has been shown that up to loading corresponding to ca. 10 μmol Lu2O3/1 m2 SiO2, Lu can be dispersed over SiO2 as an amorphous, nanometre thick Lu–O–Si layer. At 1000 °C formation of crystalline silicate, isomorphous with B-type Ln4[Si3O10][SiO4] (LnDy–Tm) was observed. It has been shown that emission bands of Yb3+, introduced as contamination present in Lu2O3, appearing in anti-Stokes region of Raman spectra, could be used as convenient tool for identification of the Lu-phases formed in the samples.