Aqueous sol–gel synthesis, thermoanalytical study and luminescent properties of M_0.05Eu_0.05Ca_0.9MoO₄ (M=Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) nanocrystallites

Nano-sized M_0.05Eu_0.05Ca_0.9MoO₄ (M=Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) ceramics have been successfully synthesized by an aqueous sol–gel synthesis method using a tartaric acid as a ligand. In order to reveal the influence of the peculiarities of the nature of dopants effect into the crystallization of CaMoO₄ double oxide, the thermal analysis of the as-prepared gels was performed. In addition, infrared spectroscopy was used in order to identify the functional groups from the characteristic stretching vibrations in the M–Eu–Ca–Mo–O tartrate gel precursors. Besides, to confirm the dynamics of growing crystallites in the final ceramics and to reveal the morphological changes on the surface, the x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were applied. Finally, photoluminescence measurements were used to estimate the optical properties of europium oxide as a dopant in the samples according to the nature of alkali metal. Therefore, according to the obtained results, it was estimated that luminescence intensity of Eu³⁺ ions is mainly affected by the chemical reaction, which takes place at about 973 K of temperature. This effect was partly confirmed from the results of the thermal decomposition of M–Eu–Ca–Mo–O tartrate gel precursors with an endothermic behaviour in the DSC curve, which indicates the crystallization mechanism of the CaMoO₄ double oxide.