Enhanced photoluminescence property of Dy co-doped BaAl2O4:Eu green phosphors

Eu²⁺-doped BaAl₂O₄ green phosphors were prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction and the effects of Dy³⁺ co-doping on the photoluminescence property were investigated. The phosphors were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), fluorescence spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD showed that all prepared samples exhibited a hexagonal BaAl₂O₄ phase. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the photoluminescence efficiency increased with increasing Eu²⁺ concentration until 3 mol% then decreased at higher concentrations due to concentration quenching effect. Moreover, Dy³⁺ co-doping increased the photoluminescence efficiency of the Eu²⁺-doped BaAl₂O₄ phosphor.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of MgAl(PO4)O:Eu red phosphor for white LEDs

Eu³⁺-activated MgAl(PO₄)O:phosphor has been synthesized by a high temperature solid state reaction and efficient red emission under near-ultraviolet excitation is observed. The emission spectrum shows a dominant peak at 594 nm due to the ⁵D₀→⁷F₁ transition of Eu³⁺. The excitation spectrum is coupled well with the emission of UV LED (350–410 nm). The effect of Eu³⁺ concentration on the luminescent properties of MgAl(PO₄)O:Eu³⁺ and the mechanism of concentration quenching of Eu³⁺ are studied. The results show that MgAl(PO₄)O:Eu³⁺ is a promising red-emitting phosphor for white LEDs.     

Luminescent properties of a novel afterglow phosphor Sr3Al2O5Cl2:Eu,Ce

A series of Eu²⁺ and Ce³⁺ doped/co-doped Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂ afterglow phosphors that presented various bright colors were successfully synthesized via high temperature solid state reaction. The structure and luminescence properties of the obtained samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) spectra and decay curves as well as the thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves. The XRD results showed that all the phase could be indexed to the orthorhombic structure with the space group P2₁2₁2₁. After being exposed to a 254 nm or 365 nm mercury lamp, blue/yellow-orange afterglow emissions with broad bands peaking around 620 nm/435 nm, which were ascribed to the characteristic 4f⁶5d–4f⁷/5d¹–4f¹ transitions of Eu²⁺/Ce³⁺, could be observed in phosphors of Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺/Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:Ce³⁺, respectively. Because of the overlap spectral range between the Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺ and Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:Ce³⁺ phosphors, the energy transfer (ET) from Ce³⁺ to Eu²⁺ occurred. The related ET process was discussed in detail. Moreover, the incorporation of Ce³⁺ could significantly prolong the afterglow duration of Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺ phosphor, which was due to the increase of trap concentration. Consequently, 6 h of the afterglow duration could be observed in Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:1.0%Eu²⁺, 0.5%Ce³⁺ sample, exhibiting much longer than that of Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂: 1.0%Eu²⁺ (3 h). From the afterglow decay curves and the fitting results, the optimal concentration of Ce³⁺ for the enhanced afterglow property was experimentally determined to be 0.5%.     

Photoluminescence properties of Eu-activated BaCa2Al8O15 nanophosphors

A new blue-emitting nanophosphor of Eu²⁺-activated BaCa₂Al₈O₁₅ was synthesized by the Pechini method. The phosphors were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) measurement and confirmed to be a pure crystalline phase of BaCa₂Al₈O₁₅. The photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra, the luminescence decay and the color coordinates were taken to investigate the luminescence characteristics. The dependence of luminescence intensities BaCa₂Al₈O₁₅:Eu²⁺ on the doping concentrations was investigated. This nanophosphor can be efficiently excited by UV light and presents bright blue luminescence. Under the same conditions, the light yield of BaCa₂Al₈O₁₅:Eu²⁺ is about 1.2 times higher than that of blue-emitting phosphor BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu²⁺. Eu²⁺-activated BaCa₂Al₈O₁₅ nanophosphor exhibits the long-lasting phosphorescence, which was analyzed by measuring the afterglow decay curves. The co-doped Eu³⁺ ions and some defects were suggested to be the possible trap-centers.     

Fluorescence improvement of Ba1.3Ca0.7SiO4:Eu,Mn phosphors via Dy addition and their color-tunable properties

A series of novel single-phase white phosphors Ba_1.3Ca_0.69−x−ySiO₄:0.01Eu²⁺,xMn²⁺, yDy³⁺ were synthesized by the solid-state method. The excitation spectra of these phosphors exhibit a broad band in the range of 260–410 nm, which can meet the application requirements for near-UV LED chips (excited at 350–410 nm). The emission spectra consist of two broad bands positioned around 455 nm and 596 nm, which are assigned to 5d→4f transition of Eu²⁺, and ⁴T₁→⁶A₁ transition of Mn²⁺, respectively. The luminescence intensity of phosphors enhances obviously by doping Dy³⁺ ions, and the intensity of two bands reaches an optimum when Dy³⁺ amounts to 2 mol%. In addition, thermoluminescence investigation of phosphor was conducted, getting two shallow trap defects with activation energy of 0.43 eV and 0.45 eV, which demonstrates the energy transfer mechanism of Dy–Eu through the process of hole and electron traps. By precisely tuning the Mn²⁺ content, an optimized white light with color rendering index (CRI) of R_a=84.3%, correlated color temperature (CCT) of T_c=8416 K and CIE chromaticity coordinates of (0.2941, 0.2937) is generated. The phosphor could be a potential white phosphors for near-UV light emitting diodes.     

Strong Eu2+ light emission in Eu silicate through Eu3+ reduction in Eu2O3/Si multilayer deposited on Si substrates

Eu₂O₃/Si multilayer nanostructured films are deposited on Si substrates by magnetron sputtering. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrate that multicrystalline Eu silicate is homogeneously distributed in the film after high-temperature treatment in N₂. The Eu²⁺ silicate is formed by the reaction of Eu₂O₃ and Si layers, showing an intense and broad room-temperature photoluminescence peak centered at 610 nm. It is found that the Si layer thickness in nanostructures has great influence on Eu ion optical behavior by forming different Eu silicate crystalline phases. These findings open a promising way to prepare efficient Eu²⁺ materials for photonic application.     

Tunable luminescence properties and efficient energy transfer in Eu,Mn co-doped Ba2MgP4O13

A series of Ba₂Mg_1−xMn_xP₄O₁₃ (x = 0-1.0) and Ba_1.94Eu_0.06Mg_1−xMn_xP₄O₁₃ (x = 0-0.15) phosphors were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), the photoluminescence spectra, and the decay curves are investigated. XRD analysis shows that the maximum tolerable substitution of Mn²⁺ for Mg is about 50 mol% in Ba₂MgP₄O₁₃. Mn²⁺-singly doped Ba₂MgP₄O₁₃ shows weak red-luminescence peaked at about 615 nm. The Eu²⁺/Mn²⁺ co-doped phosphor emits two distinctive luminescence bands: a blue one centered at 430 nm originating from Eu²⁺ and a broad red-emitting one peaked at 615 nm from Mn²⁺ ions. The luminescence of Mn²⁺ ions can be greatly enhanced with the co-doping of Eu²⁺ in Ba₂MgP₄O₁₃. The efficient energy transfer from Eu²⁺ to Mn²⁺ is verified by the excitation and emission spectra together with the luminescence decay curves. The emission colors could be tuned from the blue to the red-purple and eventually to the deep red. The resonance-type energy transfer via a dipole-quadrupole interaction mechanism is supported by the decay lifetime data. The energy transfer efficiency and the critical distance are calculated and discussed. The temperature dependent luminescence spectra of the Eu²⁺/Mn²⁺ co-doped phosphor show a good thermal stability on quenching effect.     

Effect of strontium and phosphorus source on the structure,morphology and luminescence of Sr5(PO4)2SiO4:Euphosphor prepared by solid-state reaction

Sr₅(PO₄)₂SiO₄:Eu²⁺ phosphosilicate phosphor was prepared by high temperature solid-state reaction. Effects of strontium sources (strontium oxide, strontium nitrate and strontium carbonate) and of phosphorus sources (diammonium phosphate, strontium monophosphate) on the reactivity of their mixture during heating and on phase composition, morphology and photoluminescence excitation and emission properties of the phosphors were investigated by TG–DTG–DSC, XRD, SEM and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The sequence of the solid-state reactions when using the different starting reagents was discussed based on the TG–DTG–DSC results. It was found that it is hard to prepare pure Sr₅(PO₄)₂SiO₄:Eu²⁺ phosphor with either of strontium sources studied when stoichiometric (NH₄)₂HPO₄ was used as a phosphorus source. Minor Sr₂SiO₄ impurity phase was present in the phosphors. The content of impurity phase, the morphology and resultant photoluminescence properties of the phosphors were markedly influenced by the strontium source employed. When SrCO₃ was used as the strontium source, the phase purity of the phosphor was improved with the addition of excess (NH₄)₂HPO₄. When (NH₄)₂HPO₄with 5% excess or SrHPO₄ in stoichiometric ratio was used as the phosphorus source a pure phase phosphor was obtained. In addition, the morphology and photoluminescence of the phosphor were also influenced by phosphorus source. The possible reasons causing different properties of the phosphors prepared using different raw materials were discussed based on reaction schemes.     

Luminescent properties of Sr2B2O5: Tm,Na blue phosphor

A novel blue phosphor, Sr₂B₂O₅: Tm³⁺, Na⁺ for white light-emitting diodes (W-LEDs) was prepared by solid-state synthesis and its structure and luminescence properties were investigated. This phosphor can be effectively excited within the broad near ultraviolet (NUV) wavelength region, from 340 nm to 370 nm, and exhibits a satisfactory blue performance. The emission peaks are observed at 457 nm (blue) and 475 nm (blue), due to the respective transitions of ¹D₂→³F₄ and ¹G₄→H₆. Seven mole percent of doping concentration of Tm³⁺ was shown to be optimal. Concentration quenching occurs when Tm³⁺ concentration is beyond 7 mol%, its mechanism being explained by dipole–dipole interaction of Tm³⁺ and being confirmed by decay property measurements. We have made a deep analysis on the effect of charge compensation reagent on luminescence intensity. Good blue emissions with the CIE chromaticity coordinates (0.173, 0.165) could be achieved. Our results suggest that the Sr₂B₂O₅: Tm³⁺, Na⁺ phosphor is a potential blue-emitting material.     

Influence of LaF3 on the crystallization and luminescence of Eu-doped oxyfluoride glass ceramics

The influence of LaF₃ on the crystallization behavior and luminescence of Eu³⁺ ions in the oxyfluoride borosilicate glass ceramics was investigated in details. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results indicated that the addition of LaF₃ decreased the glass transition temperature and promoted the crystallization of BaF₂ nanocrystals, which distributed homogeneously in the glassy matrix. A reduction of the lattice parameters of BaF₂ nanocrystals, the obvious Stark splitting of emission peaks and long fluorescence lifetime evidenced the incorporation of Eu³⁺ and La³⁺ into the BaF₂ lattice. Furthermore, experimental results indicated the distribution of Eu³⁺ ions in the oxyfluoride glass ceramics may be modified by the addition of LaF₃ content.     

Multifuctional Fe3O4@C/YVO4:Dy nanopowers: Preparation,luminescence and magnetic properties

As-synthesized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were encapsulated with carbon layers through a simple hydrothermal process. Fe₃O₄/C nanoparticles were coated with YVO₄:Dy³⁺ phosphors to form bifunctional Fe₃O₄@C@YVO₄:Dy³⁺ composites. Their structure, luminescence and magnetic properties were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, PL spectra and VSM. The experimental results indicated that the as-prepared bifunctional composites displayed well-defined core–shell structures. The ∼12 nm diameter YVO₄:Dy³⁺ shell exhibited tetragonal structure. Additionally, the composites exhibited a high saturation magnetization (13 emu/g) and excellent luminescence properties, indicating their promising potential as multifunctional biosensors for biomedical applications.     

Microwave-assisted solvothermal preparation and photoluminescence properties of Y2O3:Eu phosphors

Europium doped yttrium oxide phosphors were synthesized by a rapid microwave-assisted solvothermal method. The microwave processing time for synthesizing the precursors of Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺ powders was as short as 5 min. After calcination at 600 °C, a well-crystallized pure phase of Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺ was obtained. The morphology of the precipitated powders was spherical and composed of nano-sized grains. As the microwave irradiation time was increased, the average particle size of the spherical powders increased, and the crystallinity of heat-treated powders was also enhanced. The synthesized powders retained the spherical morphology after heating treatments. An intense red emission at 611 nm was assigned to the ⁵D₀-⁷F₂ transition of Eu³⁺.     

Solvothermal synthesis of red and green emitting Ca1.65Sr0.35SiO4:Eu and Ca1.65Sr0.35SiO4:Eu phosphors for solid-state lighting applications

A novel and facile synthetic approach has been trialed, and attempted with success in the preparation of two phosphors namely, a red emitting CaSrSiO₄:Eu³⁺ and a green emitting CaSrSiO₄:Eu²⁺. These phosphors were successfully synthesized using a simple co-precipitating solvo-thermal strategy wherein tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as silica source and the acetate precursors of strontium (Sr²⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺) and europium (Eu³⁺) are utilized. The material so obtained is subjected to an extensive photoluminescence behavior study. The concentration of the dopant (Eu³⁺and Eu²⁺) plays a significant role in the determination of photoluminescence behavior and hence a systematic and in-depth experimental studies were done and the results are synchronized. On interpretation of the output, it came to light that an intense emission signals sparked in the red region (590 and 615 nm) in the case of phosphor doped with Eu³⁺, which is excited under near ultra violet (395 nm) and blue (466 nm) region. In case of the CaSrSiO₄ sample doped with Eu²⁺_, an intense broad green signal (~510 nm) is obtained under the excitation range of 350–430 nm. The results obtained are quite encouraging and made a strong confirmation as, the solvo-thermally synthesized CaSrSiO₄, which is activated by the dopants namely Eu³⁺ and Eu²⁺ possesses an immense potential and it is exactly tapped by the adopted methodology. Despite its strong impact, it will also assure a strong revolution in the fabrication and thus the commercialization of white LEDs as both the red and green emitting phosphor.     

Influence of precursor Bi/Fe ion concentration on hydrothermal synthesis of BiFeO3 crystallites

In this study we investigated the effect of precursor Bi³⁺/Fe³⁺ ion concentration on the hydrothermal synthesis of BiFeO₃ crystallites. It is demonstrated that the phase-purity and morphology of the products is highly dependent on the metal ion concentration. Phase-pure BiFeO₃ crystals can be prepared at the Bi³⁺/Fe³⁺ ion concentration ranging from 0.025 to 0.0625 M. The samples prepared at n(Bi³⁺/Fe³⁺)=0.025, 0.0375, 0.05, and 0.0625 M, are composed, respectively, of cuboid-like particles (100–200 nm), regular spherical agglomerates (30–40 μm) made up of irregular grains with size about several hundred nanometers, irregular flower-like clusters formed from irregular grains of several hundred nanometers in size, and octahedron-shaped particles (500–600 nm). These samples have a similar bandgap energy of 2.20 eV and exhibit a typical antiferromagnetic behavior at room temperature.     

A reddish orange stoichiometric phosphor LiEu(PO3)4 for white light-emitting diodes

Stoichiometric phosphors LiGd_1−xEu_x(PO₃)₄(x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0) were synthesized via traditional solid state reactions. The X-ray powder diffraction measurements show that all prepared samples are isostructural with LiNd(PO₃)₄. Eu³⁺ doped phosphors can emit intense reddish orange light under the excitation of near ultraviolet light from 370 to 410 nm. The strongest two at 591 and 613 nm can be attributed to the transitions from excited state ⁵D₀ to ground states ⁷F₁ and ⁷F₂, respectively. The typical chromaticity coordinates (x=0.620, y=0.368) of Eu³⁺ doped phosphors are in red area. The recorded absorbance spectra indicate that there is effective absorbance in the near UV region for all Eu³⁺ doped samples. Present research indicates that LiGd_1–xEu_x(PO₃)₄ is a promising phosphor for white light-emitting diodes.     

Sm-doped CaTiO3 phosphor: Synthesis, structure, and photoluminescent properties

Photoluminescent properties of samarium-doped calcium titanate for near ultra-violet excitation were studied. CaTiO₃:Sm³⁺ phosphor was synthesized by using the solid-state reaction method. The structure and properties of the phosphor were characterized by using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, UV-visible spectrophotometer, high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometer, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. The photoluminescent properties were studied by taking excitation and emission spectra. A strong red-orange luminescence corresponding to ⁴G_5/2 → ⁶H_7/2 transition of Sm³⁺ for near ultra-violet excitation was observed. It was found that CaTiO₃:Sm³⁺ was a red-orange emitting phosphor and had higher efficiency for the operation with near ultra-violet excitation.     

DMF effect on the morphology and the luminescence properties of Y2O3:Eu red phosphor prepared by spray pyrolysis

N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) was used as a drying control chemical additive (DCCA) in spray pyrolysis in order to improve the luminous properties of Y₂O₃:Eu particles. It was found that the addition of DMF to the spray solution containing citric acid (CA) and ethylene glycol (EG) greatly enhances the photoluminescence intensity as well as the morphology of Y₂O₃:Eu particles. According to BET analysis, the surface area of Y₂O₃:Eu particles prepared from the solution containing only the organic additives was not reduced, whereas, the surface area of the Y₂O₃:Eu particles prepared from the solution containing both DMF and organic additives was decreased gradually as increasing the concentration of DMF. From these results, it was concluded that the adding of DMF to the spray solution containing the organic additives is a very effective way to reduce the porosity of phosphor particles, keeping the spherical morphology. As a result, the densification of porous structure led to greatly improve the photoluminescence intensity of Y₂O₃:Eu particles under ultraviolet (254 nm) excitation. Finally, the prepared Y₂O₃:Eu particles with dense structure showed about 208% improved photoluminescence intensity compared with the particles which have a spherical shape but porous structure.     

Synthesis and emission analysis of RE (Eu or Dy):Li2TiO3 ceramics

The development and photoluminescence analysis of Eu³⁺or Dy³⁺ ions in the matrix of lithium titanate (Li₂TiO₃) ceramics by using a solid state reaction method are reported. Emission spectra of Eu³⁺:Li₂TiO₃ ceramics have shown strong red emission at 611 nm (⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂) with λ_exci = 392 nm (⁷F₀ → ⁵L₆) and from the Dy³⁺:Li₂TiO₃, a blue emission at 493 nm (⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_15/2) and also an yellow emission at 582 nm (⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_13/2) have been observed with λ_exci = 366 nm (⁶H_15/2 → ⁶P_5/2). Both the rare-earth ions containing ceramics have displayed their brighter emission performance from their measured spectral results. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) have been used to characterize the structural properties of (Eu³⁺ or Dy³⁺):Li₂TiO₃ ceramics.     

CdWO4 nanorods: Ultrafast synthesis via a PEG-1000 polymer-assisted enhanced microwave synthesis route and their photoluminescence property

Cadmium tungstate (CdWO₄) nanorods have been successfully ultrafast synthesized in several minutes under enhanced microwave irradiation conditions and characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and photoluminescence. The products show a very strong photoluminescence peak at 475 nm with the excitation wavelength of 350 nm and a short decay time.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Electrospun Poly(ethylene oxide)/Europium-Doped Yttrium Orthovanadate (PEO/YVO4:Eu3+) Hybrid Nanofibers

Europium-doped yttrium orthovanadate/polyethylene oxide nanofibers were fabricated by firstly, synthesizing crystalline YVO₄:Eu³⁺ nanoparticles using an aqueous precipitation method followed by electrospinning of PEO/YVO₄:Eu³⁺ polymer composites. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the nanoparticles exhibited well-defined peaks that were indexed as the tetragonal phase of YVO_4. No additional peaks of other phases were observed indicating that Eu³⁺ ions were effectively built into the YVO₄ host lattice. The photoluminescence spectra for the nanofibers showed peaks at 593, 615, 650, and 698 nm which was ascribed to the ⁵D_0? ⁷F₁, ⁵D_0? ⁷F₂, ⁵D_0? ⁷F₃ and ⁵D_0? ⁷F₄ transitions of Eu³⁺. Due to an efficient energy transfer from vanadate groups to Eu³⁺, the composite nanofibers showed a strong red emission under ultraviolet excitation characteristic of the red luminescence of the europium ion. The results demonstrate that this synthetic approach could prove to be viable for the fabrication of rare earth/polymer composite nanofibers intended for luminescent device applications.