Synthesis, characterization and photoluminescence of lanthanum hydroxide nanorods by a simple route at room temperature.

A new and simple method to directly synthesize stable and crystalline pure phase La(OH)(3) nanorods was developed using cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB). The advantages of the method are facile synthesis, at room temperature, and low cost. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) and Raman spectroscopy were used to examine the morphology and microstructure to find out the cause. The results revealed that all of the products were one-dimensional rod-like nanostructures with diameters of approximately 15 nm and lengths of 120-200 nm. The four observed Raman peaks at 281, 336, 450, and 610 cm(-1) indicated the typical hexagonal phase, which was in agreement with the x-ray diffraction results. Room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) properties were investigated under the excitation of 275 nm. The samples exhibited the emission peaks of room-temperature photoluminescence.