Synthesis of Gd 2 O 3 nanoparticles: using bulk Gd 2 O 3 powders as precursor

Abstract Gd 2 O 3 nanoparticles were synthesized from the commercial bulk Gd 2 O 3 powders via a simple electrochemical method. The synthesized powders were characterized by means of X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The effects of solution pH on the morphological features of the sample were studied. The strategy developed in this study offers significant advantages for the synthesis of Gd 2 O 3 nanoparticles from the bulk Gd 2 O 3 powders compared with the conventional routes. From SEM observations, the size of the Gd 2 O 3 nanoparticles is estimated to be significantly smaller than 70 nm.