Incorporation of as-Prepared Eu3+-doped Lanthanum Niobate Nanoparticles in Tellurite Glasses

Abstract

A direct-doping method was tested to design new composite-glasses by incorporating lanthanum niobate nanocrystals (NC) in tellurite glasses. NC powder were grinding with glass powder before heating-quenching, with the main investigation approached of best parameters for NC suitable homogenization but limited dissolution. Thermal analysis signalizes that prior heat-treatment of NC promotes higher transparency and limits NC dissolution. These materials with visually detectable NC aggregates exhibited glass transition temperatures close to the starting glass. LaNbO4 phase was hardly detected by X-ray diffraction because of the low weight ratio and partial dissolution but the monoclinic polymorph could be identified for lower time. UV-visible-NIR transmission spectra also related progressive lower transparency with light scattering of NC aggregates. Photoluminescence suggest that lower times allowed to ensure the NC environment with lower crystallinity around Eu3+-ions in final composite-glass. These results pave the way for designing new materials containing NC not achievable by conventional nucleation-growth methods.

Keywords

• Direct-doping
• TeO2
• Luminescence
• Composite-glass
• LaNbO4