Preparation and characterization of Gd2O3:Eu3+ luminescence nanotubes

The size controllable Gd2O3:Eu3+ luminescence nanotubes were successfully prepared using a simple method by coating gadolinium compounds on the carbon nanotubes and then firing the carbon nanotubes. The morphology of the obtained Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanotubes was determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the obtained nanotubes have the outer diameters of ∼100 nm, the inner diameters of ∼50 nm, and the lengths of several tens of microns. The sizes of Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanotubes can be easily controlled by changing the reaction times and the concentration of reactants. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanotubes begin to crystallize when annealing at the temperature of 600 °C, and the crystallinity increases with the increasing of the annealing temperature. The photoluminescence studies indicated that a strong emission peak at 610 nm is a characteristic red emission of Eu3+, and the emission intensity increases with the reaction times and concentration of reactants but decreases with the increasing of annealing temperature, which is probably because the residual carbon impurities on the surface of Gd2O3:Eu3+ nanotubes decrease the luminescence intensity of Gd2O3:Eu3+.