Synthesis and characteristics of nanorods of gadolinium hydroxide and gadolinium oxide

Stable and crystalline pure-phase gadolinium hydroxide (Gd(OH)3) with diameters of approximately 100–200 nm and lengths of 200–500 nm was synthesized using a surfactant (hexamethylenetetramine or polyvinylpyrrolidone) micelle solution in a hydrothermal process. The as-synthesized Gd(OH)3 nanomaterials were subsequently sintered to form gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanorods. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to examine the microstructures, morphologies, and optical characteristics of the sintered products. The results suggest that this hydrothermal process may be an effective and convenient approach to prepare Gd(OH)3 and Gd2O3 with one-dimensional nanostructures. The photoluminescence spectra were studied at excitation wavelengths of 210 and 230 nm, and the samples exhibited emission peaks indicating room-temperature photoluminescence.