CHEM01200604004 Shri Sanyasinaidu Boddu - Homi Bhabha ...
CHEM01200604004 Shri Sanyasinaidu Boddu - Homi Bhabha ...
CHEM01200604004 Shri Sanyasinaidu Boddu - Homi Bhabha ...
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CHAPTER 4: Phosphates<br />
3+ 3+ 3+<br />
4.1. Introduction: Phosphates of Ga , Sb and Bi are of interest because of their potential<br />
technological applications [212-220]. For example, GaPO 4 is a good piezo-electric material<br />
whereas SbPO and BiPO<br />
4 4 are used as catalysts as well as in optical/ photonic devices [221-<br />
225]. Doping lanthanide ions in such phosphates is an attractive option for making materials<br />
with multi functional applications. Under ambient conditions, GaPO 4 exists in hexagonal<br />
form whereas SbPO 4 and BiPO 4 adopt a monoclinic structure. BiPO4 is also known to exist in<br />
hexagonal form [226, 227]. Unlike this, LnPO 4 (Ln = lanthanide) exist mainly in two<br />
crystalline modifications, viz. monazite and xenotime [228]. Monazite structure is adopted by<br />
3+ 3+<br />
lanthanide phosphates with relatively larger lanthanide ions (i.e., La - Gd ) while xenotime<br />
structure is formed by smaller lanthanide ions (i.e., Tb 3+ -Lu 3+ ). Essential difference in both<br />
the structures is that in the xenotime structure, Ln 3+ ions exist as regular LnO 8 polyhedra<br />
whereas in the monazite structure, lanthanide ions (Ln 3+ ) exist as LnO 9 polyhedra [228]. For<br />
making lanthanide ions based luminescent materials using phosphate hosts like GaPO 4 ,<br />
SbPO and BiPO<br />
4 4, it will be ideal if solid solution formation between these phosphates and<br />
lanthanide phosphates exist. The major problem with the solid solution formation in this<br />
system is the large difference in the ionic radii of the cations and difference in their<br />
3+ 3+<br />
coordination numbers, particularly for Ga and Sb ions in GaPO 4 and SbPO4 respectively.<br />
Further, the solubility product values are significantly different for GaPO (10 -21 -<br />
4 ), BiPO 4 (10<br />
23 ) and LnPO 4 (~ 10 -26 to 10 -25 ) [229-231] which prevent the formation of solid solution<br />
between these compounds through co-precipitation techniques. However, if the metal<br />
phosphate nanoparticles are prepared under alkaline conditions in aqueous or alcoholic<br />
solutions, the surface hydroxyl groups on nanoparticles may undergo ion exchange with<br />
lanthanide ions. Such an ion exchange process will lead to the formation of nanoparticles<br />
102