Large-scale synthesis of single-crystalline RE2O3 (RE=Y, Dy, Ho, Er) nanobelts by a solid-liquid-phase chemical route

Yttrium-group heavy rare-earth sesquioxide (RE(2)O(3), RE=Y, Dy, Ho, Er) nanobelts were successfully fabricated by thermolysis of solid RE(NO(3))(3)x H(2)O in a dodecylamine/1-octadecene mixed solvent system. The synthetic principle is based on separating the nucleation and growth processes by utilizing the poor solubility of RE(NO(3))(3)chi H(2)O in the solvent mixture and the heat-transportation difference between the liquid and solid. By using dodecylamine, RE(2)O(3) nanobelts can be readily obtained. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that the synthesized RE(2)O(3) nanobelts are body-centered cubic and crystalline. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selective-area electron diffraction (SAED), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) demonstrate that the synthesized RE(2)O(3) compounds possess regular geometric structure (beltlike) with perfect crystallinity. Preliminary experimental results prove that the dodecylamine plays a key role in the formation of RE(2)O(3) nanobelts and cannot be replaced by other surfactants. Furthermore, this method can be extended to the synthesis of RE(2)O(3) nanobelt/metal nanocrystal nanocomposites and ABO(3) (A=Y, Dy, Ho, Er; B=Al) and A(3)B(5)O(12) (A=Y, Dy, Ho, Er; B=Al)-type ternary oxide nanobelts, using mixed-metal nitrate salts in the correct stoichiometry instead of single rare-earth nitrates.