Preparation and luminescence properties of Ce3+ and/or Tb3+ doped LaPO4 nanofibers and microbelts by electrospinning

Ce3+ and/or Tb3+ doped LaPO4 nanofibers and microbelts have been prepared by a combination method of sol-gel process and electrospinning. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), photoluminescence (PL), low voltage cathodoluminescence (CL) and time-resolved emission spectra as well as kinetic decays were used to characterize the resulting samples. SEM and TEM results indicate the as-formed precursor fibers and belts are smooth, and the as-prepared nanofibers and microbelts consist of nanoparticles. The doped rare-earth ions show their characteristic emission under ultraviolet excitation, i.e. Ce3+ 5d–4f and Tb3+5D4–7FJ (J=6–3) transitions, respectively. The energy transfer process from Ce3+ to Tb3+ in LaPO4:Ce3+, Tb3+ nanofibers was further studied by the time-resolved emission spectra. Under low-voltage electron beam excitation, LaPO4:Ce3+, Tb3+ microbelt phosphors have a higher intensity than that of nanofiber phosphors.