Synthesis of Y₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ luminescent nanobelts via electrospinning combined with sulfurization technique

Y₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanobelts were successfully prepared via electrospinning method and sulfurization process using the as-prepared Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺ nanobelts and sulfur powders as sulfur source by a double-crucible method for the first time. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the Y₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanobelts were pure hexagonal in structure with space group P \( \bar{3} \) m1. Scanning electron microscope images showed that the width and thickness of the Y₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanobelts were ca. 6.7 μm and 125 nm, respectively. Under the excitation of 325-nm ultraviolet light, Y₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanobelts exhibited red emissions of predominant peaks at 628 and 618 nm, which are attributed to the ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂ transition of the Eu³⁺ ions. It was found that the optimum doping concentration of Eu³⁺ ions in the Y₂O₂S: Eu³⁺ nanobelts was 3 %. Compared with bulk particle, Eu³⁺–O²⁻/S²⁻ charge transfer bands (260 and 325 nm) of the Y₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanobelts showed a blue-shift significantly. The formation mechanism of the Y₂O₂S: Eu³⁺ nanobelts was also proposed. This new sulfurization technique is of great importance, not only to inherit the morphology of rare earth oxides but also to fabricate pure-phase rare earth oxysulfides at low temperature compared with conventional sulfurization method.