Exploring the Formation of Neodymium(III) Sulfate Crystals Through In Situ Scattering and Spectroscopy Studies

The development of new materials for advanced technologies plays a significant role in addressing the global energy crisis. While the formation of solid-state material from aqueous solution is fundamental to many natural phenomena, and widely incorporated in various industrial processes, our understanding of the mechanisms remains limited. The properties of a material strongly depend on atomic structure, nanostructure, microstructure, and surface structure. Hence, understanding the mechanisms behind the formation of solid materials is crucial for gaining complete control over the process, and being able to tailor-make new materials with special properties for state-of-the-art technologies. Thus, scientists in various research fields have shown significant interest in studying the formation processes. This study aims to elucidate the mechanism involved in the formation of crystalline neodymium(III) sulfate by utilising the unique spectral properties of lanthanides, combined with total X-ray scattering. The formation process was investigated applying four different in situ techniques. Light scattering was utilised to follow the formation of particles on a macroscopic level, absorption and emission spectroscopy were used to track the changes in the coordination environment around the neodymium(III) ion, while total X-ray scattering allowed the observation of changes in the atomic structure in real space. By employing these techniques, insight into different aspects of the formation mechanism was gained.