Well‐Defined Flowerlike NdOCl Nanostructures: Nonaqueous Sol–Gel Synthesis, Nanoscale Characterization and Their Magnetic and Photoluminescence Properties

A facile nonaqueous solution route for the fabrication of NdOCl nanostructures based on a ligand-exchange protocol and further thermal decomposition in organic medium, using only chloride salt as the neodymium source, is reported and the formation mechanism is proposed. The morphology, crystal structure, and chemical compositions of the sample were characterized at the nanoscale. XRD results and selected-area electron diffraction patterns show that the sample is purely tetragonal NdOCl without any other impurity phases. TEM results show that the NdOCl nanostructures have a well-defined flowerlike shape, which looks like a chrysanthemum just about to bloom. Magnetization measurements reveal that the NdOCl nanoflowers show room-temperature ferromagnetism. The photoluminescence properties were also studied. These results are significant for fundamental research and promising applications of rare-earth-based nanostructures.