Template reaction physical studies

Rare earth silicates exhibit potential applications as stable luminescent materials for phosphors, scintillators, and detectors. Silica and silicon substrates are frequently used for thin films fabrication, and their nanostructures including monodisperse sphere, NWs are also reliable templates and substrates. However, the composition, structure, and phase of rare earth silicates are rather complex, for example, there are many phases like silicate R2SiOs, disilicate R2Si207 (A-type, tetragonal), hexagonal Rx(Si04)602 oxyapatite, etc. The controlled synthesis of single-phase rare earth silicate nanomateriais can only be reached with precisely controlled experimental conditions. A number of heat treatment based routes, such as solid state reaction of rare earth oxides with silica/silicon substrate, sol-gel methods, and combustion method, as well as physical routes like pulsed laser ablation, have been applied to prepare various rare earth silicate powders and films. The optical properties of rare earth silicate nanocrystalline films and powders have been studied. 

---