Growth and characterization of terbium fumarate heptahydrate single crystals

• Terbium fumarate heptahydrate single crystals were grown by gel diffusion method.
• The single crystals were found to be thermally stable up to 110 °C.
• The nucleation rate is shown to follow the classical nucleation theory.
• The ligand to metal ion energy transfer takes place in these crystals.
• Suitability as a luminescent material is proposed.

The growth of terbium fumarate heptahydrate single crystals was achieved by single gel diffusion technique using silica gel as a medium of growth. The effect of various growth parameters on the nucleation rate of these crystals was studied. The crystals were characterized by different physico-chemical techniques of characterization. Powder X-ray diffraction pattern showed that terbium fumarate is a crystalline compound. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was performed for the identification of water and other functional groups present in the compound. UV–vis and photoluminescence spectrophotometric experiments were carried out to study the optical properties of the grown crystals. Elemental analysis suggested the chemical formula of the crystals to be Tb2(C4H2O4)3·7H2O. The presence of seven molecules of water was also supported by the thermogravimetric analysis. The hydrated compound was found to be thermally stable upto a temperature of about 110 °C and its anhydrous form up to the temperature of 410 °C. The thermal decomposition of the compound in the nitrogen atmosphere leads to the formation of terbium oxide as the final product. An attempt was made to relate the experimental results with the classical nucleation theory.