Structure and optical properties of cerium(III)-doped PbWO4 micro-crystals synthesized by a facile wet chemical method

Cerium(III) doped PbWO4 micro-crystals with different doping contents were synthesized via a facile wet chemical method in air atmosphere at room temperature. X-ray diffraction patterns of as-synthesized powders revealed that these micro-crystals were pure scheelite PbWO4, without any impurities such as Ce2(WO4)3 and PbO, and Ce3+ could enter into Pb2+ sites, which would induce the formation of lead vacancies in the PbWO4 crystal lattice. The UV–vis diffuse reflection spectra, Raman spectra and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of doped and pure PbWO4 micro-crystals were studied in detail, which indicated that optical properties of doped PbWO4 were greatly changed. The adsorption edge of Ce(III)-doped PbWO4 micro-crystals would shift toward high wavelength (red-shift) with gradually increasing Ce3+ doping concentration. It shows an obvious decrease in blue emission band which made the shape of the whole emission band remodeled with the Ce3+ doping.

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