A novel route to synthesize octahedral Y2O3:Eu3+ submicron crystals is developed.
The synthetic process and growth mechanism of octahedral Y2O3:Eu3+ are discussed.
The in situ formed salt is critical for octahedral formation during calcination.
The octahedral Y2O3:Eu3+ exhibit enhanced photoluminescence than the spherical ones.
The approach is addictive-free, high-yielding, eco-friendly and scalable.