Study on the Preparation and Optical Properties of Ce3+ Doped GdAlO3 Nanoparticles by Co-Precipitation Method

Nanoparticles of GdAlO3:Ce were synthesized with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) as the dispersant and ammonia as the precipitant by co-precipitation reaction to prepare precursors under different conditions. The phase composition of the precursors and the particle morphology were characterized by thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The excitation and emission spectra of the resultant samples were analyzed using a photoluminescence spectroscope (PL). The results showed that the as-prepared, well-dispersed, nano-sized GdAlO3:Ce powder displayed spherical morphology at the initial concentration of metallic salt in liquor of 0.3 mol/L; the synthesized temperature was 0 °C, and it was calcined at 1300 °C for 2 h. The relative intensity of the photoluminescence peak had the maximum value when the Ce3+ dopant content was 0.9 mol% (mole fraction). The concentration quench occurred when the Ce3+ dopant content exceeded 0.9 mol%, and the peak of the excitation spectrum appeared at a wavelength of 381 nm.