Sol-gel synthesis and characterization of sub-microsized lanthanide (Ho, Tm, Yb, Lu) aluminium garnets

Sub-microsized and nanosized holmium aluminium garnet (Ho3Al5O12, HoAG), thulium aluminium garnet (Tm3Al5O12, TmAG), ytterbium aluminium garnet (Yb3Al5O12, YbAG) and lutetium aluminium garnet (Lu3Al5O12, LuAG) powders were prepared by a simple aqueous sol-gel method using aluminium nitrate nonahydrate, lutetium oxide, thulium oxide, holmium oxide and ytterbium oxide as starting materials. Ethane-1,2-diol was used as complexing agent. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the specimens sintered at 1000 degrees C revealed the formation of monophasic HoAG, TmAG, YbAG, and LuAG. The phase composition of the samples was also characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Microstructural features of the polycrystalline garnets were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.