Morphology controllable and highly luminescent monoclinic LaPO ₄: Eu₃₊ microspheres

A facile, but effective, two-step method was developed to prepare monoclinic LaPO₄:Eu³⁺ microspheres composed of microprisms with a controllable morphology. XRD and SEM studies revealed a spherical morphology and crystalline structure for the resulting material. It was also found that LaPO4:Eu3+ microspheres prepared at 800 °C showed a higher luminescent intensity than primary hexagonal LaPO₄:Eu³⁺ microprisms. Furthermore, the luminescent performance of LaPO ₄:Eu³⁺ microspheres was demonstrated to reach the standards of the LaPO₄:Eu³⁺ bulk material under the same conditions. These results suggest possibilities for the use of as-synthesized monoclinic LaPO₄:Eu³⁺ microspheres as alternatives to replace intrinsically uneven bulk materials for many application areas, including light display systems and optoelectronic devices.