Preparation of Eu3+-Doped Rutile TiO2 Nanocrystals at Room Temperature by a Sonochemical Method

Abstract

Lanthanide-doped semiconductors find usage in a wide variety of applications. In this work, Eu3+-doped rutile TiO2 nanocrystals have been successfully prepared at room temperature by a sonochemical method. The nanocrystalline sample has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. A possible mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of Eu3+-doped TiO2 nanomateirals. Additionally, the characteristic emissions of Eu3+ can be found upon excitation in the region of TiO2 absorption, indicating that an energy transfer from TiO2 to Eu3+ occurs for the doped sample.