Hydrothermal synthesis and luminescence properties of monodisperse BaWO4:Eu3+ submicrospheres

• Uniform BaWO4:Eu3+ hierarchical microspheres were prepared via a simple hydrothermal route.
• The BaWO4:Eu3+ particles are assembled by many tiny nanoparticles.
• The spherical BaWO4:Eu3+ phosphor exhibits intense red emission under UV excitation.
• This simple synthesis route may be extended to prepare other tungstate functional materials.

Uniform BaWO4:Eu3+ hierarchical submicrospheres have been prepared via a simple hydrothermal route. The as-synthesized BaWO4:Eu3+ particles are well-dispersed with narrow size distribution and are assembled by many tiny nanoparticles. During the synthesis process, the trisodium citrate additive plays a crucial role for the formation of BaWO4:Eu3+ submicrospheres. Under ultraviolet light excitation, the spherical BaWO4:Eu3+ phosphor exhibits much stronger luminescence than that shuttle-like BaWO4:Eu3+ sample prepared without adding trisodium citrate as additive. The spherical luminescent material may find potential applications in fields of lighting, displays, and nanodevices. This simple synthesis route may be extended to prepare other tungstate functional materials with well-defined morphologies.