Ag-catalyzed Synthesis of Tb(BO₂)₃ Nanorods

Well-crystallized with excellent luminescent properties, Tb(BO₂)₃ nanorods were first suc-cessfully synthesized by a simple solid-state method with Ag as catalyst. The result of X-ray diffraction showed that the Tb(BO₂)₃ nanorods could be well-crystallized at 700 oC. As-prepared straight nanorods of Tb(BO₂)₃ had the typical diameters in the range of 100-200 nm, the thickness of 30-50 nm and the lengths up to 3 μm by transmission elec-tron microscopy and the corresponding selected area electron diffraction indicated that the nanorod calcined at 700 oC was single-crystalline. Based on the fact that Ag nanoparti-cles attached to the tips and middles of the Tb(BO₂)₃ nanorods, a growth model of the Tb(BO₂)₃ nanorods was proposed. Photoluminescence spectra under excitation at 369 nm showed that these Tb(BO₂)₃ phosphors had a green emission at 546 nm, which is ascribed to ⁵D₄→⁷F₅ transition. The effect of calcining temperature on the structures, morphologies, and luminescent properties of Tb(BO₂)₃ phosphors were studied.