Synthesis of erbium hydroxide microflowers and nanostructures in subcritical water

The effects of temperature, pressure, pH, residence time and reactant concentrations, as well as the presence or absence of CO₂, on the size and morphology of erbium hydroxide particles synthesized in a hydrothermal batch reactor and a diamond-anvil cell (DAC) reactor have been investigated. Several new erbium-based microstructures and nanostructures were obtained that encompass different phases and shapes, including crystalline microflowers, hexagonal microlayers, microsticks and microspheres made from nanoparticles, as well as nanofibers, nanorods and nanolayers. The Er₂OCO₃(OH)₂ microflowers are pure, structurally uniform, and mostly free from dislocations. Their crystallinity, morphology, optical properties and structural features have been examined and compared with those of the other phases by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis, and by Raman, infrared, UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy.