Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T00:37:00.205Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Microstructural characteristics and photoluminescence performance of nanograined thermally treated CeO2-TiO2 xerogels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Amita Verma ,
A.K. Srivastava ,
N. Karar ,
Harish Chander  and
S.A. Agnihotry
Amita Verma
Affiliation:
National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India
A.K. Srivastava
Affiliation:
National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India
N. Karar
Affiliation:
National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India
Harish Chander
Affiliation:
National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India
S.A. Agnihotry*
Affiliation:
National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Nanostructured thermally treated xerogels have been synthesized using a sol-gel process involving cerium (Ce) chloride heptahydrate and titanium (Ti) propoxide mixed in different Ce:Ti molar ratios. Structural features of the xerogels have been correlated with their photoluminescence (PL) response. The crystallite sizes in the samples lie in the nanorange. The x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy results have confirmed the coexistence of CeO2 and TiO2 nanocrystallites in these xerogels. In general, a decrease in the CeO2 crystallite size and an increase in the TiO2 crystallite size are observed in the xerogels as a function of Ti content. Scanning electron microscopy results have evidenced the evolution of ordered structure in the xerogels as a function of TiO2 content. Although both of the phases (CeO2 and TiO2) have exhibited PL in ultraviolet and visible regions, the major luminescence contribution has been made by the CeO2 phase. The largest sized CeO2 crystallites in 1:1 thermally treated xerogel have led to its highest PL response. PL emission in the xerogels is assigned to their nanocrystalline nature and oxygen vacancy-related defects.

Keywords

LuminescenceNanostructureSol-gel
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 22 , Issue 5 , May 2007 , pp. 1182 - 1187
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1Toyoda, T., Hayakawa, T., Abe, K., Shigeari, T., and Shen, Q.: Photoacoustic and photoluminescence characterization of highly porous, polycrystalline TiO2 electrodes made by chemical synthesis. J. Lumin. 87–89, 1237 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Bradley, D.C., Mehrotra, R.C., and Gaur, D.P.: Metal Alkoxides (Academic Press, New York, 1978).Google Scholar
3Brinker, C.J. and Scherer, G.W.: Sol-Gel Science. The Physics and Chemistry of Sol- Gel Processing (Academic Press, San Diego, 1989).Google Scholar
4Doeuff, S., Henry, M., Sanchez, C., and Livage, J.: Hydrolysis of titanium alkoxides: Modification of the molecular precursor by acetic acid. J. Non-Cryst. Solids 89, 206 (1987).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5Livage, J. and Sanchez, C.: Sol-gel chemistry. J. Non-Cryst. Solids 145, 11 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Livage, J., Henry, M., and Sanchez, C.: Sol-gel chemistry of transition metal oxides. Prog. Solid State Chem. 18, 259 (1988).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Verma, A., Samanta, S.B., Bakhshi, A.K., and Agnihotry, S.A.: Optimization of CeO2-TiO2 composition for fast switching kinetics and improved Li ion storage capacity. Solid State Ionics 171, 81 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Verma, A., Srivastava, A.K., Bakhshi, A.K., Kishore, R., and Agnihotry, S.A.: Sol-gel processed nanostructured CeO2-TiO2 thin films for electrochromic applications. Mater. Lett. 59, 3423 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Verma, A., Singh, D.P., Bakhshi, A.K., and Agnihotry, S.A.: Influence of aging and composition of the precursor sol on the properties of CeO2-TiO2 thin films for electrochromic applications. J. Non-Cryst. Solids 351, 2501 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Verma, A., Joshi, A.G., Bakhshi, A.K., Shivaprasad, S.M., and Agnihotry, S.A.: Variations in the structural, optical and electrochemical properties of CeO2-TiO2 films as a function of TiO2 content. Appl. Surf. Sci. 252, 5131 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Makishima, A., Kubo, H., Wada, K., Kitami, Y., and Shimohira, T.: Yellow coatings produced on glasses and aluminum by the sol-gel process. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 69, C-127 (1986).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Song, C.F., Lu, M.K., Yang, P., Xu, D., and Yuan, D.R.: Structure and photoluminescence properties of sol-gel TiO2-SiO2 films. Thin Solid Films 413, 155 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Green, W.H., Le, K.P., Grey, J., Au, T.T., and Sailor, M.J.: White phosphors from a silicate-carboxylate sol-gel precursor that lack metal activator ions. Science 276, 1826 (1997).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Tang, Y., Guo, H., and Qin, Q.: Photoluminescence of Sr2CeO4 phosphors prepared by microwave calcination and pulsed laser deposition. Solid State Commun. 121, 351 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar