Rare Earth Ion-Doped Vanadate Materials: A Comprehensive Review of Synthesis Strategies, Luminescent Properties, and Sensing Applications

In recent years, rare earth (RE) ion-doped vanadate materials have garnered signifi-cant attention due to their promising applications in everyday technologies. Vanadate-based compounds, typically containing V⁵⁺ ions within oxide structures, form VO₄ tet-rahedra that enable broad ultraviolet absorption and wide-range visible light emission. These materials serve as versatile hosts for RE ions, namely, the 15 lanthanides (lan-thanum (La) to lutetium (Lu)) plus scandium (Sc), and yttrium (Y), which act as lumi-nescent centers when incorporated into the matrix. The unique electronic configura-tion of RE ions, particularly their unpaired 4f electrons, makes them ideal for diverse applications in luminescence, magnetism, electronic and magnetic relaxation, and ca-talysis. While RE ions exhibit sharp and intense emission peaks in the visible and near-infrared regions, vanadate hosts contribute broad-band spectra through charge trans-fer transitions within the VO₄ units. These complementary luminescent properties are critical for the advancement of optoelectronic devices. To enhance performance and broaden the applicability of RE-doped vanadate materials, ongoing research focuses on developing innovative synthesis techniques and structural designs. This paper pre-sents a comprehensive review of recent progress in synthesis strategies, luminescent behavior, and sensing applications of RE ion-doped vanadate materials.