Luminescent lanthanide selenites and tellurites decorated by MoO4 tetrahedra or MoO6 octahedra: Nd2MoSe2O10, Gd2MoSe3O12, La2MoTe3O12, and Nd2MoTe3O12

Solid state reactions of lanthanide oxide, MoO3 and SeO2 (or TeO2) at high temperature in an evacuated quartz tube lead to four new Ln-Mo-Se(Te)-O quaternary phases with four different types of structures, namely, Nd2MoSe2O10, Gd2MoSe3O12, La2MoTe3O12, and Nd2MoTe3O12. The structure of Nd2MoSe2O10 features a 3D architecture built by the intergrowth of the Nd-Se-O layers with the Nd-Mo-O layers. The structure of Gd2MoSe3O12 contains a 3D network of gadolinium selenite with the MoO6 octahedra occupying the cavities of the structure. The structure of La2MoTe3O12 features a 3D network of La2(Te3O8)2+ with the tunnels along the a axis occupied by the MoO4 tetrahedra. Nd2MoTe3O12 features a 2D layer built by the lanthanide ions interconnected by tellurite groups and ditellurite groups, with the MoO4 tetrahedra as the interlayer pendant groups. Room temperature and low temperature luminescent studies indicate that Nd2MoSe2O10 and Nd2MoTe3O12 exhibit strong luminescence in the near-IR region.