Well Crystallized α-GaOOH Nanocrystals Synthesized through Hydrothermal Routes and Their Properties

A facile hydrothermal process involving Ga(NO₃)₃·H₂O·NaN₃ solutions led to the formation of α‐GaOOH nano‐platelets. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed that the synthesized samples belonged to an orthorhombic crystal structure with lattice constants a=0.4510 nm, b=0.9750 nm and c=0.2965 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies showed that α‐GaOOH displayed the morphologies of an eccentric platelet‐like structure with 60–120 and 200–300 nm in the short and long axes, respectively. The average thickness of products was about 70 nm through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The ultraviolet absorption of the samples was at 214 nm. The prepared α‐GaOOH nano‐platelets exhibited a broad emission band from 220 to 400 nm with a maximum at 343 nm under short UV excitation of 200 nm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirmed the existence of Ga₂O and Ga–OH bending modes. A possible mechanism for the formation of α‐GaOOH nano‐platelets was discussed briefly.