Electrospinning Synthesis and Photoluminescence Properties of One-Dimensional SiO 2 :Tb 3+ Nanofibers and Nanobelts

Controlled synthesis of functional photoluminescent materials is of particular interest due to their fascinating optical properties. Herein, highly uniform one-dimensional (1D) SiO2:xTb3+ nanofibers and nanobelts are fabricated by electrospinning method combined with sol-gel method. The as-prepared SiO2:xTb3+ nanofibers are belt-like morphology after calcination. The formation mechanism of SiO2:xTb3+ nanofibers and nanobelts is proposed based on decomposition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and crystallization of SiO2. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of SiO2:xTb3+ nanofibers and nanobelts is Tb3+ ions concentration dependent with a maximum at 4 mol% of Tb3+. Particularly, SiO2:xTb3+ nanofibers and nanobelts exhibit a green emission corresponding to 5D4 → 7Fj transition (541 nm) of Tb3+.