Characterization and photoluminescence of Dy3+ doped CaTiO3 nanoparticles prepared by sol-gel method

Abstract

A modified sol-gel route using tetra isopropyl ortho titanate and calcium acetate under the catalytic action of nitric acid has been presented for the synthesis of Dy³⁺ doped CaTiO₃ nanoparticles. Various instrumentation techniques like, thermo gravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy have been employed to characterize the compound. It has been found that described method is much better than earlier reported methods, as it improves the morphology, particle size and homogeneity of CaTiO₃ nanoparticles. By this method we obtain sphere-like particles of average size ~42 nm which falls among the least known sizes of pure and doped CaTiO₃ nanoparticles. The spectroscopic parameters like band-gap energy and intense ⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_13/2 transition on account of Dy³⁺ doping show excellent agreements with the reported data in the literature.