Red-shift and improved afterglow of Sr3Al2-xBxO5Cl2:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors via a cation substitution strategy

Sr₃Al_2-xB_xO₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4) long persistent phosphors were prepared via solid-state process. The pristine Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ phosphor exhibits orange/red broad band emission around 609 nm, which can be attributed to the electric radiation transitions 4f⁶5 d¹→4f⁷ of Eu²⁺. Upon the same excitation, the B³⁺-doped Sr₃Al_2-xB_xO₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ phosphors display red-shift from 609 nm to 625 nm with increasing B³⁺ concentrations. The XRD patterns show that Al³⁺ can be replaced by B³⁺ in the host lattice at the tetrahedral site, which causes lattice contraction and crystal field enhancement, and thereafter achieves the red-shift on the emission spectrum. The XPS investigation provides direct evidence of the dominant 2-valent europium in the phosphor, which can be ascribed for the broad band emission of the prepared phosphors. The afterglow of all phosphors show standard double exponential decay behavior, and the afterglow of Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺is rather weak, while the sample co-doped with B³⁺shows longer and stronger afterglow, as confirmed after the curve simulation. The analysis of thermally stimulated luminescence showed that, when B³⁺ is introduced, a much deeper trap is created, and the density of the electron trap is also significantly increased. As a result, B³⁺ ions caused redshift and enhanced afterglow for the Sr₃Al_2-xB_xO₅Cl₂:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺ phosphor.     

Ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer—SrAl2O4:Eu,Dy and Sr4Al14O25:Eu,Dy phosphor‐based composites: Preparation and material properties

New photoactive composite based on ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) and SrAl₂O₄:Eu,Dy or Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:Eu,Dy were prepared by melt mixing or extrusion methodologies. The phosphorescent behavior and material properties of the polymer‐phosphor composites were studied. The morphology of the polymer and the composites were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS). The SEM shows that the physical and chemical behavior of the matrix and the extrusion conditions were primarily responsible for the surface morphology. TEM and EDS show that the phosphor particles were uniformly dispersed in the EVA matrix. A broad band of ultraviolet (UV)‐excited phosphorescence of SrAl₂O₄:Eu,Dy and Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅:Eu,Dy phosphors and the respective composites were observed at wavelengths of 516 nm and 490 nm, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed less intense phosphorescence but no shift in the wavelength of the emission peak for all the composites. The Hamburg wheel test was done on all the composites and the PL measurements before and after the test showed almost no change in the intensity of the emission. Thermal studies showed that the presence of the phosphors in the matrix slightly increased the crystallinity of EVA, which leads to higher melting enthalpies. Tensile testing shows very little change in the tensile strength and flexibility of the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Effect of Al/Sr ratio on the luminescence properties of SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors

Recent studies have brought out many phosphors like Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺-doped alkaline earth aluminates. The trivalent Dy³⁺ ions as co-dopants greatly enhance the duration and intensity of persistent luminescence. These phosphors show excellent properties, such as high quantum efficiency, long persistence of phosphorescence, good stability and suitable color emission.In this work the effect of Al/Sr ratio on the afterglow and phosphorescence decay properties of Eu²⁺ and Dy³⁺ co-activated strontium aluminates synthesized by a solid-state process has been investigated. The luminescence properties of samples were investigated by means of excitation spectra, emission spectra and X-ray diffraction analysis.A variety of strontium aluminates, such as SrAl₂O₄, Sr₄Al₂O₇, Sr₃Al₂O₆, Sr₃Al₂(Eu, Dy, Y)O_7.5, Al₅(Eu, Dy, Y)O₁₂, Sr₄Al₁₄O₂₅, SrAl₁₂O₁₉ and (Eu, Dy, Y)AlO₃ have been identified in the samples prepared from starting precursors with Al/Sr mole ratios ranging from 0.44 to 5. The afterglow decay rate was found to be the fastest for sample with Al/Sr ratio of 4.18, in which SrAl₄O₇ phase was dominant. The afterglow decay rate for phosphor with Al/Sr ratio of 2, in which SrAl₂O₄ phase was dominant, was detected to be slow. Moreover, the emission spectra of the samples shift to yellow-green long wavelength from bluish-green-ultraviolet short wave with the increase of Al/Sr ratios resulting from the change in the composition.     

Facile synthesis of the desired red phosphor Li2Ca2Mg2Si2N6:Eu2+ for high CRI white LEDs and plant growth LED device

The red emission with suitable peak wavelength and narrow band is acutely required for high color rendering index (CRI) white LEDs without at the cost of the luminous efficacy. Herein, the Li₂Ca₂Mg₂Si₂N₆:Eu²⁺ red phosphor was prepared with facile solid-state method using Ca₃N₂, Mg₃N₂, Si₃N₄, Li₃N, and Eu₂O₃ as the safety raw materials under atmospheric pressure for the first time, which shows red emission peaking at 638 nm with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 62 nm under blue light irradiation and becomes the desired red phosphor to realize the balance between luminous efficacy and high CRI in white LEDs. The morphology, structure, luminescence properties, thermal quenching behavior, and chromaticity stability of the Li₂Ca₂Mg₂Si₂N₆:Eu²⁺ phosphor are investigated in detail. Concentration quenching occurs when the Eu²⁺ content exceeds 1.0 mol%, whereas high-temperature photoluminescent measurements show a 32% drop from the room-temperature efficiency at 423 K. In view of the excellent luminescence performances of Li₂Ca₂Mg₂Si₂N₆:Eu²⁺ phosphor, a white LEDs with CRI of 91 as a proof-of-concept experiment was fabricated by coating the title phosphor with Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³⁺ on a blue LED chip. In addition, the potential application of the title phosphor in plant growth LED device was also demonstrated. All the results indicate that Li₂Ca₂Mg₂Si₂N₆:Eu²⁺ is a promising red-emitting phosphor for blue LED-based high CRI white LEDs and plant growth lighting sources.     

Site-selective occupation and luminescence property investigation of Ca18Na3Y(PO4)14:Eu2+ phosphor for full-spectrum LED

Cyan-emitting phosphors have attracted widespread attention as an integral part to realize full-spectrum lighting. Understanding the site occupation of luminescence centers is of great importance to design and clarify the luminescent mechanism for new cyan-emitting phosphors. Here, we report a cyan-emitting phosphor Ca₁₈Na₃Y(PO₄)₁₄:Eu²⁺ synthesized by the high-temperature solid-state method. The crystal structure is characterized by X-ray diffraction and refined by the Rietveld method. The diffuse reflectance spectra, excitation/emission spectra, fluorescence decay curves, thermal stability, and related mechanism are systematically studied. The results show that Ca₁₈Na₃Y(PO₄)₁₄:Eu²⁺ crystallizes in a trigonal crystal system with space group R3c. Under excitation at 350 nm, a broadband cyan emission can be obtained at 500 nm with a half-width of about 120 nm, which is caused by Eu²⁺ occupying five different sites in host, namely, Na2O₁₂ (450 nm), (Ca3/Na1)O₈ (485 nm), Ca2O₈ (515 nm), Ca1O₇ (565 nm), and (Ca4/Y)O₆ (640 nm), respectively. Moreover, crystal structure, room and low temperature spectroscopy, and luminescence decay time are used to skillfully verify the site-selective occupation of Eu²⁺. Finally, a full-spectrum light-emitting diode (LED) lamp is fabricated with an improved color rendering index (∼90.3), CCT (∼5492 K), and CIE coordinates (0.332, 0.318). The results show that Ca₁₈Na₃Y(PO₄)₁₄:Eu²⁺ has the potential to act as a cyan emission phosphor for full-spectrum white LEDs.     

Fabrication and characterizations of Eu2+-Dy3+ co-doped SrAl2O4 ceramics with persistent luminescence

(Sr_0.97Eu_0.01Dy_0.02)Al₂O₄ persistent luminescence (PersL) ceramics were fabricated by solid-state reactive sintering in vacuum combined with hot isostatic pressing (HIP) using H₃BO₃ as a sintering additive. The phase composition, microstructure, luminescence properties, trap state, and PersL performance of HIP post-treated (Sr_0.97Eu_0.01Dy_0.02)Al₂O₄ PersL ceramics were discussed. For the (Sr_0.97Eu_0.01Dy_0.02)Al₂O₄ PersL ceramics after HIP post-treatment, the initial luminescence intensity of the ceramics reached over 6400 mcd/m² with simulated daylight irradiation of 1000 lx for 5 min, and the persistent emission decay time > 17 h. This is much better than the SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ PersL powders and the other luminescent ceramics. In addition, this method is a solid-state reactive sintering method for synthesizing ceramics, which has the advantages of low cost and simple operation, and is suitable for large-scale, high-volume industrial production.     

Broadband emission phosphor Sr3Al2O5Cl2:Bi3+: Luminescence modulation and application for a white-light-emitting diode

Bi³⁺ ions can regulate and control the fluorescence of a phosphor by transferring energy to the activating agent or occupying different luminescent centers, which is important for modifying phosphors and revealing fluorescence mechanisms. As a base material, Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂ has three types of Sr sites (Sr 1, Sr 2, and Sr 3) that may be occupied by Bi³⁺ ions (Sr²⁺ has a similar radius to Bi³⁺). Herein, we successfully synthesized a series of Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:x%Bi³⁺ phosphors using the high-temperature solid-state method and determined a two-site-occupying emission mechanism. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the samples were synthesized well, and Rietveld refinement results provided their structural information. Photoluminescence spectra showed 490 nm (λ_ex = 345 nm) and 556 nm (λ_ex = 376 nm) emission peaks, which might arise from different luminescent centers. The concentration quenching study, peak separation analysis, fluorescence lifetime spectra, and diffuse reflection spectra indicated that the Bi³⁺ ions occupied two of the three Sr sites. Calculations of relative system energies and distortion index proved that the occupation only occurred in the Sr 1 and Sr 3 sites, and crystal splitting analysis determined that Sr 1 site generated 490 nm emission light and Sr 3 site generated 556 nm emission light. The charge compensator and flux were added to enhance the fluorescence intensity of the phosphor, and 5% K⁺ along with 1% BaF₂ is the optimal dosage. Finally, the SrAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺, BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu²⁺, and optimized Sr₃Al₂O₅Cl₂:5%Bi³⁺ phosphors were combined as a luminous layer and a warm-white light-emitting diode was realized; the color rendering indices were 84.3, 85.8, 86.4, and 86.2 under working currents of 20, 30, 40, and 50 mA, respectively.     

Synthesis,Crystal Structure,and Luminescence Properties of Y4Si2O7N2: Eu2+ Oxynitride Phosphors

Y₄Si₂O₇N₂: Eu²⁺ phosphor has been prepared by a pretreatment method. Reduction in Eu³⁺ ions into Eu²⁺ by the use of hydrogen iodide (HI) is verified by X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) and electrode potential analysis. Y₄Si₂O₇N₂: Eu²⁺ phosphor has a broad emission band in the range of 400–500 nm. Furthermore, the effect of Zr doping on the structure and luminescence properties of Y₄Si₂O₇N₂: Eu²⁺ phosphor is researched. It found that the Zr doping leads to an emission blueshift, and improves the luminescence intensity and thermal quenching behavior of Y₄Si₂O₇N₂: Eu²⁺ phosphors. Prospectively, the pretreatment approach could be extended to develop other Eu²⁺‐doped compounds.     

A novel Eu2+/Tb3+ co-doped phosphor with pyroxene structure applied for cryogenic thermometric sensing

Pyroxene-type phosphors were widely developed due to the advantages of high chemical stability, luminous efficiency, and low production cost. In this contribution, a series of Eu²⁺/Tb³⁺ co-doped Ca_0.75Sr_0.2Mg_1.05Si₂O₆ (CSMS) phosphors with pyroxene structure were successfully synthesized by the solid-state method. Under the 340 nm excitation, the emission peaks of the phosphor show a redshift with the increase of Eu²⁺ concentration. The emitting color of Eu²⁺/Tb³⁺ co-doped samples shows a redshift attributed to the energy transfer from Eu²⁺ to Tb³⁺. Simultaneously, acquired thermometer exposes superbly temperature-sensitive properties (S_a and S_r having maximum values 4.7% K⁻¹ and 0.6% K⁻¹, respectively) over the cryogenic temperature range (77–280 K). Furthermore, it has good stability and precision at cryogenic temperatures, indicating that CSMS:0.03Eu²⁺/0.03Tb³⁺ phosphor is a very promising fluorescent material suitable for cryogenic temperature sensing.     

Reidinger defects induced thermally stable green emission from Eu2+, Mn2+ co-doped Ba0.75Al11O17.25 transparent ceramics

In this paper, Ba_0.75Al₁₁O_17.25 was selected as the host for the Eu²⁺ and Mn²⁺ co-dopants due to the Reidinger defects in its lattice. Upon the 365 nm excitation, the phosphors presented the cyan to green tunable emission by changing the doping concentration of Mn²⁺. Moreover, this phosphor possesses zero-thermal quenching up to 448 K due to the interaction between the traps and Eu²⁺/Mn²⁺. The completely densified ceramic guaranteed the high optical transmittance (～72 % at 516 nm) and thermal conductivity (4.3 W·m^?1·K^?1 at room temperature). When combined with a 6 W commercial 365 nm emitting LED chip, the temperature of the ceramic eventually stabilized at 428 K and the luminous efficacy of the LED device was almost not influenced by the thermal quenching effect. This work may open a way for exploring new phosphor conversion materials for HP/HB PC solid state lighting.     

Phase Identification and Dopant Site Occupancy of Yellow‐Emitting Phosphor BaSrMg(PO4)2:Eu2+

Substitution is widely employed to design single‐host phosphor with multiple sites for one activator, which could emit more than one band. BaSrMg(PO₄)₂:Eu²⁺ was reported as a potential single‐host white light‐emitting phosphor for white LEDs, possessing multiple sites for Eu²⁺ doping. However, different emission spectra were observed in this paper for the sample with same nominal formula. Therefore, XRD and Rietveld refinements were employed to investigate the crystal structure in detail and the results indicated that the sample contains Sr₂P₂O₇ coexisting with the main phase BaSrMg(PO₄)₂. Meanwhile, BaSrMg(PO₄)₂ phase was identified to be isostructural with Ba₂Mg(PO₄)₂ and was confirmed by TEM. Photoluminescence of the phosphor sintered at 900°C shows two emission bands peaking at 424 and 585 nm. Hence, different from the literature, the blue band was assigned to the 4f⁶5d¹→4f⁷ transition of Eu²⁺ occupying the Sr²⁺ sites in Sr₂P₂O₇ and the yellow band to the Eu²⁺ occupying Sr²⁺ and Ba²⁺ sites in BaSrMg(PO₄)₂. The relative intensity ratio of yellow/blue bands is consistent with the content ratio of two phases in the samples with different synthesis temperatures, which is further proof for the original of the blue band. The results of the thermal quenching data demonstrated that the Sr²⁺‐substituted phosphor was better than Ba₂Mg(PO₄)₂.     

Light‐induced electrons suppressed by Eu3+ ions doped in Ca11.94−xSrxAl14O33 caged phosphors for LED and FEDs

Control of light‐induced electron generation is of vital importance for the application of caged phosphors. For Eu‐doped Ca_11.94?xSr_xAl₁₄O₃₃ caged phosphors, the suppressed effect of strontium doping on the light‐induced electrons is observed compared to the europium‐free Ca_11.94?xSr_xAl₁₄O₃₃ phosphors. In the presence of europium ions, Sr doping will promote the reduction of Eu³⁺ to Eu²⁺. The Rietveld refinement suggests that unit cell volumes of the Ca_11.94?xSr_xAl₁₄O₃₃:Eu_0.06 samples are expanded when Ca²⁺ ions are replaced by Sr²⁺ ions. The absorption and FTIR transmittance spectra confirm that the competitive reaction of encaged O^2? anions with H₂ is suppressed. For the sample (x=0.48), the higher thermal activation energy (~0.40 eV) for luminescence quenching can be attributed to the more rigid framework structure after Sr doping. For Ca_11.94?xSr_xAl₁₄O₃₃:Eu_0.06 phosphors, their emission colours are tuned from red to purple upon 254 nm excitation and from pink to blue under electron beam excitation through Sr substitution. The insight gained from this work may have a significant guiding to design new phosphors for LED and FEDs and novel nanocaged mutifunctional materials.     

Luminescence and structure of Eu2+-doped Ba2CaMg2Si6O17

Eu²⁺-activated Ba₂CaMg₂Si₆O₁₇ phosphors were synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction. The phase formation was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction measurement. The photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra were investigated. The phosphor presents blue-emitting luminescence. The crystallographic sites of Eu²⁺ ions in Ba₂CaMg₂Si₆O₁₇ host were discussed on the base of luminescence properties and the crystal structure. The lightly Eu²⁺-doped sample shows one luminescence center for the Eu²⁺ ions on Ba²⁺ sites, while there are two luminescence centers for the Eu²⁺ ions on both the Ba and Ca sites in heavily Eu²⁺-doped sample. The dependence of luminescence intensity on temperatures and the activation energy (ΔE) for the thermal quenching were reported. The phosphor shows an excellent thermal stability on temperature quenching because of the special layered structure of Ba²⁺ ions in the interlayer between SiO₄ layers.     

Enhancing emission intensity and thermal stability by charge compensation in Sr2Mg3P4O15:Eu3+

Charge compensation was the effective methods to enhance the luminescence properties of phosphors. In this paper, novel single‐phased orange light emitting Sr₂Mg₃P₄O₁₅:Eu³⁺ phosphors were prepared by solid state method. The phase purity and luminous characteristics were examined in detail. Meanwhile, three kinds of charge compensation methods (co‐doping the alkali metal R⁺ (R⁺ = Li, Na, and K), substituting Si⁴⁺ for P⁵⁺ and self‐compensation) were employed to solve the charge imbalance problem between Sr²⁺ and Eu³⁺. The results showed that emission intensity of Eu³⁺ was improved by 1.43 (Li⁺), 1.58 (Na⁺), 1.53 (K⁺), 1.61 (Si⁴⁺), and 1.30 (self) times than that of Sr_1.6Mg₃P₄O₁₅:0.40Eu³⁺, respectively, and there was no change in the emitting color simultaneously. Furthermore, as the temperature reached at 423 K, the emission intensity increased from 41.67% of Sr_1.6Mg₃P₄O₁₅:0.40Eu³⁺ to 55.69% (Li⁺), 61.62% (Na⁺), 58.98% (K⁺), 71.15% (Si⁴⁺), and 80.59% (self) of that at room temperature. The reasons of those phenomena were the reduction in ion vacancies caused by charge imbalance through the charge compensation process. The specific mechanisms were elaborated in detail. Overall, this research validated that the charge compensation strategies could be severed as the key method to improve the luminescence properties, especially the thermal stability of phosphor.     

Efficient and tunable Mn2+ sensitized luminescence via energy transfer of a novel red phosphor Ca19Mn2(PO4)14: Eu2+ for white LED

The exploration of efficient and high-purity red phosphors is an urgent need in LED development. Due to the compact and compositional-tunable structure of whitlockite compound, manganese-based Ca₁₉Mn₂(PO₄)₁₄ is chosen as phosphor host for Eu²⁺ sensitization. Rietveld refinement, steady-state spectra, decay lifetime analysis and temperature-dependent emission spectra were investigated and clearly discussed. Under 360 nm excitation, Ca₁₉Mn₂(PO₄)₁₄: Eu²⁺ shows a strong Mn²⁺ sensitized emission at 655 nm with FWHM of 82 nm, benefiting from the short-distance-induced high-efficient Eu² -Mn²⁺ energy transfer. Emission engineering of Ca₁₉Mn₂(PO₄)₁₄: Eu²⁺ is achieved by Sr²⁺ co-doping, leading to both tunable peak wavelength (ranging from 650 to 610 nm) and improved intensity (130% of original value). Moreover, Ca₁₉Mn₂(PO₄)₁₄: Eu²⁺ exhibits a promising thermal stability where only 40% of emission intensity is lost at 200 °C. Finally, we explored the working performance of the fabricated RGB phosphor-converted white LED. The present work indicates that Ca₁₉Mn₂(PO₄)₁₄: Eu²⁺ phosphor is of great potential as a promising and efficient red phosphor in phosphor-converted white LED.     

Effect of singly,doubly and triply ionized ions on downconversion photoluminescence in Eu3+ doped Na2Sr2Al2PO4Cl9 phosphor: A comparative study

We report a change in the red photoluminescence of the Eu³⁺ doped Na₂Sr₂Al₂PO₄Cl₉ phosphor via doping of singly, doubly and triply ionized ions. The synthesized phosphors show good crystalline nature. The EDS analysis confirms the presence of desired elements in the phosphor samples. The vibrational feature of the phosphor was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The photoluminescence excitation spectra of the phosphor show three peaks at 317, 395 and 467 nm. The Eu³⁺ doped Na₂Sr₂Al₂PO₄Cl₉ phosphor emits intense red color on excitations with 395 and 467 nm wavelengths. However, the photoluminescence intensity of the phosphor is larger for 395 nm excitation. When the singly, doubly and triply ionized ions are co-doped in the Eu³⁺ doped Na₂Sr₂Al₂PO₄Cl₉ phosphor (i.e. F⁻, WO₄²⁻, MoO₄²⁻, VO₄³⁻, La³⁺, and Y³⁺) the photoluminescence intensity of the phosphor is decreased significantly. The decrease in photoluminescence intensity is due to change in local crystal structure created by these ions. Interestingly, the photoluminescence intensity of phosphor increases many times when the (Y³⁺) ion incorporated phosphor is excited with 317 nm wavelength. The CIE diagram shows color emitted in the red region of visible spectrum and the color purity is larger for triply ionized (Y³⁺) ion. Thus, the singly, doubly and triply ionized ions activated Na₂Sr₂Al₂PO₄Cl₉: Eu³⁺ phosphor may be used in displays devices, photonic devices, solid state lighting and white LEDs.     

Synthesis and Photoluminescence of a Novel Green‐Emitting La5Si3O12N:Eu2+ Phosphor

A novel green‐emitting La₅Si₃O₁₂N:Eu²⁺ phosphor has been synthesized with the solid‐state reaction method under the high temperature, high pressure, and reducing atmosphere. This phosphor shows stable Eu²⁺ photoluminescence spectra. No Eu³⁺ line spectra have been found. For the emission band, an abnormal blue shift has been found. Concentration quenching occurs at Eu²⁺ concentration of 4 mol%. The photoluminescence property at high temperature was investigated. The physical mechanisms for blue shift, concentration quenching and thermal quenching were investigated and discussed. The proposed synthesis process could be a suitable method to acquire the stable Eu²⁺ photoluminescence in the trivalent metal cation compounds.     

Enhancement of photoluminescence intensity of sintered CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ red phosphor-bismuthate glass composites

Wavelength converters in white light-emitting diodes are usually made by sintering of phosphor-glass powder compacts. An issue is that the sintering process usually results in the reduction of phosphor amount. In the present study, composites containing CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ red phosphor and Bi₂O₃-B₂O₃-ZnO-Sb₂O₅ glass were fabricated by sintering method. Influences of CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ phosphor content (10 vol%–30 vol%) and sintering temperature (410–430°C) on the residual amount of the phosphor phase and the resulting luminescence intensity of the composites were investigated. The change of CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ content due to sintering was analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The interdiffusion between the CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ and glass matrix was examine by scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. This paper focuses on the change of luminescence intensity after sintering. It was found that although the content of phosphor CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ reduces after sintering; the luminescent intensity of the composites anomalously increases. The optimum luminescence intensity is 14% higher than that of the as-mixed, unfired powder. It is proposed that the incorporation of Bi³⁺ ions from the glass matrix into the phosphor CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ during sintering improves the luminescence ability of the phosphor particles.     

Luminescent properties of long‐lasting BaAlxOy:Eu2+,Dy3+ nanocomposites

BaAl_xO_y:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ blue‐green phosphor samples were synthesized by a combustion method at the low temperature of 500°C. Phosphor nanocrystallites with high brightness were obtained without significantly changing the crystalline structure of the host. The crystallite sizes determined from the Scherrer equation ranged between 34 and 41 nm. Different volume fractions of the BaAl_xO_y:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ powder were then introduced in LDPE polymer. The resulting composites were similarly analyzed and also thermally characterized by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). PL results indicate that the LDPE‐phosphor interface, which is considered to have an influence on the composite behavior, did not significantly change the spectral positions of the phosphor materials, whose major emission peaks occurred at about 505 nm. The improved afterglow results for the composites may have been caused by morphological changes due to increased surface area and defects. Thermal results indicate that the BaAl_xO_y:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ particles acted as nucleating centers and enhanced the overall crystallinity in the LDPE nanocomposite while preventing lamellar growth, hence reducing the crystallite sizes in LDPE. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Novel cyan-emitting KBaScSi2O7:Eu2+ phosphors with ultrahigh quantum efficiency and excellent thermal stability for WLEDs

Owing to the conventional phosphor-converted white LEDs (pc-WLEDs) generally suffer from blue-green cavity, thus, developing an appropriate phosphors covering both the blue and green regions in their emission spectra are very urgent. Herein, a novel Sc silicate phosphor, KBaScSi₂O₇:Eu²⁺ (KBSS:Eu²⁺), has been successfully designed and prepared via a solid-state reaction. The crystal structure, luminescent properties, thermal quenching, quantum efficiency as well as its application in UV-pumped WLEDs have been investigated systematically. The KBSS:Eu²⁺ phosphor exhibits a strong and broad excitation band ranging from 290 to 450 nm, and gives a sufficient cyan emission of 488 nm with a full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of 70 nm, which filled the blue-green cavity. Importantly, the optimized KBSS:Eu²⁺ phosphor possesses an ultrahigh quantum efficiency (QE) up to 91.3% and an excellent thermal stability retaining 90% at 423 K with respect to that measured at room temperature. Finally, the as-fabricated UV-based WLEDs device, with only coupled the mixture of KBSS:Eu²⁺ cyan phosphor and CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ red ones to a commercial 365nm UV chip, exhibits a satisfactory color-rendering index (Ra = 88.6), correlated color temperature (CCT = 3770K), and luminous efficiency (LE = 21 lm/W).