Sol-gel synthesis and photoluminescence of p-type semiconductor Cr2O3 nanowires

Rhombohedral structure p-type semiconductor Cr2O3 nanowires were generated by sol-gel template technology with the diameters in the range of 100–300nm and the lengths ca. 10μm. A sharp ultraviolet photoluminescence band (full width at half maximum=13.8nm) at the wavelength of 385nm (3.22eV in photon energy) was observed, which was attributed to the transition involving 3d3 electron of the Cr3+ ions.