SiO₂:Sm³⁺micro-nano arrays prepared by sol-gel and template process

Directional aligned SiO₂:Sm³⁺ nano arrays with different doping concentrations of Sm³⁺ were synthesized in nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide template by sol-gel process. The SiO ₂:Sm³⁺ nano arrays were structurally characterized by FTIR, SEM and EDS. FTIR results reveal that the samarium ion has been incorporated into the framework of SiO₂ by the deformation vibration of Si-O-Sm linkages. From SEM and EDS measurements, it is shown that nanotube arrays turn to nanoline arrays with the increasing doping concentrations of Sm³⁺, and corrosion and purgation techniques are also important to preserve the nano arrays. Finally, the growth mechanism of SiO ₂:Sm³⁺ nano arrays through sol-gel membrane process was proposed.