Synthesis of the Nanostructured YAP:Ce via Spray Pyrolysis by Polymeric Precursor Solution

Abstract

The yttrium aluminum system (Y2O3-Al2O3) includes three compounds: yttrium aluminum garnet (Y3Al5O12, YAG), yttrium aluminum perovskite (YAlO3, YAP) and yttrium aluminum monoclinic (Y4Al2O9, YAM). YAP doped with Ce is well known optical material used as a fast scintillator for synchrotron X-ray experiments. Synthesizing single YAP phase is difficult even through wet chemical processing because of the possible allocations of other phases. Here, we synthesized fine powders of YAlO3:Ce3+ via spray pyrolysis of polymeric precursor obtained by dissolving the corresponding nitrates in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and ethylene glycol (EG) solution. Aerosol droplets are decomposed at 550 °C in argon atmosphere. In order to get a pure YAP:Ce phase as-prepared particles were additionally thermally treated in the range from 900 °C to 1100 °C for 12 hours in the air atmosphere. Energy dispersive analysis (EDS) confirmed high particle purity and desirable Y:Al ratio. Also, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed changing morphology with increasing the heating temperature. Inner particle structure is analysed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) while phase identification is performed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Detailed structural analysis is performed through Rietveld refinement in Topas Academic software.