Structure and optical properties of cerium(III)-doped PbWO4 micro-crystals synthesized by a facile wet chemical method

Cerium(III) doped PbWO4 micro-crystals with different doping contents were synthesized via a facile wet chemical method in air atmosphere at room temperature. X-ray diffraction patterns of as-synthesized powders revealed that these micro-crystals were pure scheelite PbWO4, without any impurities such as Ce-2(WO4)(3) and PbO, and Ce3+ could enter into Pb2+ sites, which would induce the formation of lead vacancies in the PbWO4 crystal lattice. The UV-vis diffuse reflection spectra, Raman spectra and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of doped and pure PbWO4 micro-crystals were studied in detail, which indicated that optical properties of doped PbWO4 were greatly changed. The adsorption edge of Ce(III)-doped PbWO4 micro-crystals would shift toward high wavelength (red-shift) with gradually increasing Ce3+ doping concentration. It shows an obvious decrease in blue emission band which made the shape of the whole emission band remodeled with the Cell doping. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.