Nanorods and microparticles Eu3+-doped Ln(2)O(3) (Ln = Y, Lu and Gd) have been successfully prepared through a hydrothermal method followed by a subsequent calcinations process and the sol-gel technology, respectively. The samples were systematically characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning microscopy (FE-SEM), and photoluminescent spectra (PL). They all showed a strong red emission corresponding to D-5(0)-F-7(2) transition (612 nm) under ultraviolet excitation. Compared with Eu3+-doped Ln(2)O(3) (Ln = Y, Lu and Gd) by the sol-gel method, the Ln(2)O(3):Eu by the hydrothermal process showed smaller lattice constants, a little lower O2--Eu3+ charge transfer (CT) energy and weaker photoluminescent emission intensity. For all of the samples prepared through any one of the two methods, the CT energy increased in the sequence Gd2O3:1%Eu < Y2O3:1%Eu < Lu2O3:1%Eu. The CT energies for the samples have been further investigated from the chemical bond viewpoint. The calculated results show that the shifts of the charge transfer bands for the Y2O3:Eu and Lu2O3:Eu obtained by the two different preparation methods mainly originated from the changes of their lattice constants. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.