Neodymium (Nd) ions were substituted for manganese in the crystal lattice of synthetic Mn2O3, via oxidation of Mn(NO3)(2) in basic solution at room temperature. Doping of Nd into the lattice structure of Mn2O3 has been reported for the first time, which resulted in materials with new composition, morphology and optical properties. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, XPS and TOF-SIMS. Light (2.6%) Nd doping resulted in a mixture of rods, plates and small sheets, while heavy (8.9%) Nd doping resulted in rods, large sheets and large single crystals. The effect of structural doping of Nd ions into Mn2O3 resulted in a red shift in the absorbance. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.