@article{ChemuraHaubitzPrimusetal.2020, author = {Chemura, Sitshengisiwe and Haubitz, Toni and Primus, Philipp A. and Underberg, Martin and H{\"u}lser, Tim and Kumke, Michael Uwe}, title = {Europium-doped Ceria-Gadolinium mixed oxides}, series = {The journal of physical chemistry : A, Molecules, spectroscopy, kinetics, environment \& general theory}, volume = {124}, journal = {The journal of physical chemistry : A, Molecules, spectroscopy, kinetics, environment \& general theory}, number = {24}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, address = {Washington}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpca.0c03188}, pages = {4972 -- 4983}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Gadolinium-doped ceria or gadolinium-stabilized ceria (GDC) is an important technical material due to its ability to conduct O2- ions, e.g., used in solid oxide fuel cells operated at intermediate temperature as an electrolyte, diffusion barrier, and electrode component. We have synthesized Ce1-xGdxO2-y:Eu3+ (0 <= x <= 0.4) nanoparticles (11-15 nm) using a scalable spray pyrolysis method, which allows the continuous large-scale technical production of such materials. Introducing Eu3+ ions in small amounts into ceria and GDC as spectroscopic probes can provide detailed information about the atomic structure and local environments and allows us to monitor small structural changes. This study presents a novel approach to structurally elucidate europium-doped Ce1-xGdxO2-y:Eu3+ nanoparticles by way of Eu3+ spectroscopy, processing the spectroscopic data with the multiway decomposition method parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. In order to perform the deconvolution of spectra, data sets of excitation wavelength, emission wavelength, and time are required. Room temperature, time-resolved emission spectra recorded at lambda(ex) = 464 nm show that Gd3+ doping results in significantly altered emission spectra compared to pure ceria. The PARAFAC analysis for the pure ceria samples reveals a high-symmetry species (which can also be probed directly via the CeO2 charge transfer band) and a low-symmetry species. The GDC samples yield two low-symmetry spectra in the same experiment. High-resolution emission spectra recorded under cryogenic conditions after probing the D-5(0)-F-7(0) transition at lambda(ex) = 575-583 nm revealed additional variation in the low-symmetry Eu3+ sites in pure ceria and GDC. The total luminescence spectra of CeO2-y:Eu3+ showed Eu3+ ions located in at least three slightly different coordination environments with the same fundamental symmetry, whereas the overall hypsochromic shift and increased broadening of the D-5(0)-F-7(0) excitation in the GDC samples, as well as the broadened spectra after deconvolution point to less homogeneous environments. The data of the Gd3+-containing samples indicates that the average charge density around the Eu3+ ions in the lattice is decreased with increasing Gd3+ and oxygen vacancy concentration. For reference, the Judd-Ofelt parameters of all spectra were calculated. PARAFAC proves to be a powerful tool to analyze lanthanide spectra in crystalline solid materials, which are characterized by numerous Stark transitions and where measurements usually yield a superposition of different contributions to any given spectrum.}, language = {en} } @article{TiseanuCojocaruParvulescuetal.2012, author = {Tiseanu, Carmen and Cojocaru, Bogdan and Parvulescu, Vasile I. and Sanchez-Dominguez, Margarita and Primus, Philipp A. and Boutonnet, Magali}, title = {Order and disorder effects in nano-ZrO2 investigated by micro-Raman and spectrally and temporarily resolved photoluminescence}, series = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies}, volume = {14}, journal = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies}, number = {37}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c2cp41946g}, pages = {12970 -- 12981}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Pure and europium (Eu3+) doped ZrO2 synthesized by an oil-in-water microemulsion reaction method were investigated by in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), ex situ Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. Based on the Raman spectra excited at three different wavelengths i.e. 488, 514 and 633 nm and measured in the spectral range of 150-4000 cm(-1) the correlation between the phonon spectra of ZrO2 and luminescence of europium is clearly evidenced. The PL investigations span a variety of steady-state and time resolved measurements recorded either after direct excitation of the Eu3+ f-f transitions or indirect excitation into UV charge-transfer bands. After annealing at 500 degrees C, the overall Eu3+ emission is dominated by Eu3+ located in tetragonal symmetry lattice sites with a crystal-field splitting of the D-5(0)-F-7(1) emission of 20 cm(-1). Annealing of ZrO2 at 1000 degrees C leads to a superposition of Eu3+ emissions from tetragonal and monoclinic lattice sites with monoclinic crystal-field splitting of 200 cm(-1) for the D-5(0)-F-7(1) transition. At all temperatures, a non-negligible amorphous/disordered content is also measured and determined to be of monoclinic nature. It was found that the evolutions with calcination temperature of the average PL lifetimes corresponding to europium emission in the tetragonal and monoclinic sites and the monoclinic phase content of the Eu3+ doped ZrO2 samples follow a similar trend. By use of specific excitation conditions, the distribution of europium on the amorphous/disordered surface or ordered/crystalline sites can be identified and related to the phase content of zirconia. The role of zirconia host as a sensitizer for the europium PL is also discussed in both tetragonal and monoclinic phases.}, language = {en} } @article{TiseanuParvulescuBoutonnetetal.2011, author = {Tiseanu, Carmen and Parvulescu, Vasile I. and Boutonnet, Magali and Cojocaru, Bogdan and Primus, Philipp A. and Teodorescu, Cristian M. and Solans, Conchita and Sanchez Dominguez, Margarita}, title = {Surface versus volume effects in luminescent ceria nanocrystals synthesized by an oil-in-water microemulsion method}, series = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies}, volume = {13}, journal = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies}, number = {38}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c1cp21135h}, pages = {17135 -- 17145}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Pure and europium (Eu3+) doped cerium dioxide (CeO2) nanocrystals have been synthesized by a novel oil-in-water microemulsion reaction method under soft conditions. In-situ X-ray diffraction and RAMAN spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, UV/Vis diffuse-reflectance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy were used to characterize the nanaocrystals. The as-synthesized powders are nanocrystalline and have a narrow size distribution centered on 3 nm and high surface area of similar to 250 m(2) g(-1). Only a small fraction of the europium ions substitutes for the bulk, cubic Ce4+ sites in the europium-doped ceria nanocrystals. Upon calcination up to 1000 degrees C, a remarkable high surface area of similar to 120 m(2) g (-1) is preserved whereas an enrichment of the surface Ce4+ relative to Ce3+ ions and relative strong europium emission with a lifetime of similar to 1.8 ms and FWHM as narrow as 10 cm(-1) are measured. Under excitation into the UV and visible spectral range, the europium doped ceria nanocrystals display a variable emission spanning the orange-red wavelengths. The tunable emission is explained by the heterogeneous distribution of the europium dopants within the ceria nanocrystals coupled with the progressive diffusion of the europium ions from the surface to the inner ceria sites and the selective participation of the ceria host to the emission sensitization. Effects of the bulk-doping and impregnation with europium on the ceria host structure and optical properties are also discussed.}, language = {en} }