Structural investigation and luminescence of nanocrystalline lanthanide doped NaNbO3 and Na0.5K0.5NbO3

► Nd3+ and Eu3+ doped NaNbO3 and Na0.5K0.5NbO3 nanoparticles or nanorods are prepared by sol-gel. ► EXAFS indicates that the Ln3+ ions substitutes the Na+ and K+ ions, inducing a large amount of static disorder. ► The visible emission bands of the Eu3+ ions confirm that multiple sites exist for the lanthanide ions.