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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

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