Photoluminescence study of SiO₂ coated Eu³⁺:Y₂O₃ core-shells under high pressure

Uniform core-shell Eu3+:Y2O3/SiO2 spheres were synthesized via precipitation and the Stber method.The structural transition of core-shell Eu3+:Y2O3/SiO2 was studied by using high pressure photoluminescence spectra.With pressure increasing,the emission intensities of 5D0→7F0,1,2 transitions of Eu3+ ions decreased and the transition lines showed a red shift.The relative luminescence intensity ratio of 5D0→7F2 to 5D0→7F1 transitions decreased with increasing pressure,indicating lowering asymmetry around Eu3+ ions.During compression,structural transformation for cores in the present core-shell Eu3+:Y2O3/SiO2 sample from cubic to monoclinic took place at 7.5 GPa,and then the monoclinic structure turned into hexagonal above 15.2 GPa.After the pressure was released,the hexagonal structure transformed back to monoclinic and the monoclinic structure was kept stable to ambient pressure.     

Intense blue-emitting Ca₂PO₄Cl:Eu²⁺ phosphor for near-ultraviolet converting white light-emitting diodes

A blue phosphor Ca2PO4Cl:Eu2+(CAP:Eu2+) was synthesized by solid state reaction.The Ca2PO4Cl:Eu2+ exhibited high quantum efficiency and excellent thermal stability.The luminescent intensity of Ca2PO4Cl:Eu2+ was found to be 128% under excitation at 380 nm,149% under 400 nm,and 247% under 420 nm as high as that of BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+.The optimal doping concentration was observed to 11 mol.% of CAP:Eu2+.The energy transfer between Eu2+ ions in CAP were occurred via electric multipolar interaction,and the critical transfer distance was estimated to be 1.26 nm.A mixture of blue-emitting Ca2PO4Cl:Eu2+,green-emitting(Ba,Sr)2SiO4:Eu2+ and red-emitting CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors were selected in conjunction with 400 nm chip to fabricate white LED devices.The average color-rendering index Ra and correlated color temperature(Tc) of the white LEDs were found to be 93.4 and 4590 K,respectively.The results indicated that it was a promising candidate as a blue-emitting phosphor for the near-UV white light-emitting diodes.     

Luminescence properties of BaAl₁₂O₁₉:Tb,Ce and energy transfer between Ce³⁺,Tb³⁺

BaAl12O19:Tb,Ce phosphors were prepared by sol-gel technique,the crystalline structures of samples characterized by XRD,and the luminescence properties and energy transfer between Ce3+ and Tb3+ were investigated.The results indicated that the emission intensity and the excitation wavelength range of Tb3+ increased when Ce3+ was doped.It demonstrated that the Ce3+ added in the BaAl12O19:Tb could deliver energy to Tb3+,and Ce3+ was not luminous by itself.The relative emission intensity of Tb3+ at wavelength of 548 nm was the strongest by Tb3+/Ce3+ ratio of 2:1,when excited at 310 nm,which was the characteristic adsorption wavelength of Ce3+.     

Synthesis and characterization of CaAl_xO_y:Eu²⁺ phosphors prepared using solution-combustion method

Europium-doped calcium aluminate(CaAlxOy:Eu2+) phosphors were obtained at low temperatures(500 oC) by the solution-combustion of corresponding metal nitrate-urea solution mixtures.The particle size and morphology and the structural and luminescent properties of the as-synthesized phosphors were examined by means of scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Auger spectroscopy,transmission electron spectroscopy(TEM) and photoluminescence(PL).It was found that the Ca:Al molar ratios showed greatly influence not only on the particle size and morphology,but also on their PL spectra and structure.With the Ca:Al molar ratios increasing from 6:100 to 26:100,the structure of as-synthesized phosphor changed from CaAl12O19 to monoclinic CaAl2O4 and the dominant emitting light from red to blue,implying that the oxidation state of doped europium ions changed from trivalent to divalent due to the structure variation of host lattice.A blue phosphor with almost pure phase can be easily prepared by solution combustion method with suitable Ca:Al molar ratio.     

Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effects of manganite (La_0.8Ho_0.2)_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ and (La_0.5Ho_0.5)_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃

We reported the magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effects(MCE) of(La0.8Ho0.2)2/3Ca1/3MnO3 and(La0.5Ho0.5)2/3Ca1/3MnO3 nanoparticles by sol-gel technique.With this method,we were able to obtain the samples with particle diameters ranging from 50 to 200 nm.In the(La1-xHox)2/3Ca1/3MnO3 compound,an external magnetic field induced a magnetic transition from an paramagnetic phase to a ferromagnetic phase above Ts=105-135 K,leading to magnetocaloric effects.The maximum value of ΔSM was 1.19 J/(kg·K) at 100 K and 2.03 J/(kg·K) at 152 K for a magnetic field change of 5 T.Because both samples had large relative cooling power(RCP) and wide δTFWHM,the study on systems with the(La1-xHox)2/3Ca1/3MnO3-related magnetic transitions may open an important field in searching good magnetic materials.     

Electrospinning synthesis and luminescent properties of Lu₂O₃:Eu³⁺ nanofibers

One-dimensional Lu2O3:Eu3+ nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning followed by high-temperature calcinations.Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis,X-ray powder diffraction,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,photoluminescent spectra and decay curves were used to characterize the samples.Results showed that samples began to crystallize at ～500 oC and crystallized completely around 1000 oC.The average diameter of nanofibers(1000 oC annealed) was about 55 nm and the particle size of Lu2O3:Eu3+ increased with increasing annealing temperature.Under ultraviolet excitation,nanofibers exhibited typical red emission of Eu3+ in Lu2O3.The effect of heat-treatment temperature on luminescent properties of nanofibers was also discussed.     

Optimization of BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu²⁺ phosphors by the substitution of Si-N bonds for Al-O bonds

We proposed a simple method to improve the thermal stability of BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+(BAM) phosphors by the substitution of Si-N bonds for Al-O bonds in the host lattice.Both photoluminescence properties and thermal stability under ultraviolet(UV) and vacuum ultraviolet(VUV) excitation could be significantly improved through Si-N incorporation.After thermal degradation at 600 °C for 1 h in air atmosphere,the Si-N doped sample(Ba0.88Eu0.12MgAl9.97Si0.03O16.97N0.03) had the highest emission intensity which was 22% and 40% stronger than that of as-received sample under UV and VUV excitation,respectively.This could be attributed to the stable local structure surrounding the Eu2+ ions and the lower electronegativity of nitrogen.     

Size dependence of up-conversion luminescence of NaYF₄:Yb³⁺/Tm³⁺

Tm3+/Yb3+ codoped NaYF4 microcrystals were synthesized using a hydrothermal method.The bright upconversion light was observed under 980 nm excitation.The upconversion luminescence was systematically investigated at different Yb3+ concentrations and different reaction temperatures and time.The sample with 60% Yb3+ concentration and reacting at 180 oC for 24 h possessed the highest luminescent efficiency.The higher luminescent efficiency was contributed to a large surface area.The large surface area induced the large vibration mode by absorbed H2O and CO2.The larger vibration mode could enhance the energy transfer efficiency from the excited Yb3+ to Tm3+ by the process of phonon assisted energy transfer.     

Hydrothermal synthesis,structure study and luminescent properties of YbPO₄:Tb³⁺ nanoparticles

YbPO4:Tb3+ were synthesized by mild hydrothermal method.The luminescent properties,morphologies and structure of the obtained powders were characterized by photoluminescence(PL) spectra,FESEM,X-ray diffractometer(XRD) and FTIR.The results showed that the prepared YbPO4:Tb3+ nanoparticles were pure tetragonal phase and the average grain size varied with increasing of Tb3+ concentration.Hydrothermal temperature was revealed to be the key factor to enhance the emission intensity of YbPO4:Tb3+ phosphors.The spherical nanoparticles could be effectively excited by near UV(369 nm) light and exhibited green performance at 543 nm(5D4→7F5),489 nm(5D4→7F6) and 586 nm(5D4→7F4).The CIE chromaticity was calculated to be x=0.298,y=0.560.The YbPO4:Tb3+ nanoparticles exhibited potential to act as UV absorber for solar cells to enhance the conversion efficiency.     

Study on analysis of crystal structure in CeO₂ doped with Er₂O₃ or Gd₂O₃

To simulate the effects of burnable poison doping in nuclear fuel UO2,Er2O3(or Gd2O3)-doped CeO2 pellets were prepared. Changes in lattice constant and atomic disordering for CeO2 due to the Er2O3 and Gd2O3 doping were measured by means of XRD and XAFS. By the Er2O3 doping,the lattice constant decreased,and a disordering of lattice structure was induced in the samples. The doping with Er2O3 also induced the disordering of atomic arrangement around Er atoms,which was observed through the change in XAFS spectra. In contrast,the effect of Gd2O3 doping was smaller than that of Er2O3 doping. The result was discussed in terms of ionic size of dopants in CeO2 crystal.     

Effects of Sr²⁺ on structure and luminescent properties of BaAl₁₂O₁₉:Eu phosphors

Ba0.9-ySryAl12O19:Eu0.1 phosphors were prepared by sol-gel technique,the crystalline structures of samples characterized by XRD,and the luminescence properties were investigated.The influence of crystallographic positions on the luminescent properties of Sr2+-doped BaAl12O19:Eu was investigated in detail.The results indicated that the crystal lattice of BaAl12O19:Eu was not influenced by the Sr2+ and doping Sr2+ in BaAl12O19:Eu enhanced the luminescent properties of the phosphors at the proper concentration of Sr2+.With the increasing of concentration of Sr2+ doped in BaAl12O19:Eu,the relative luminescent intensity of Ba0.9-ySryAl12O19:Eu0.1 strengthened and blue-shifted.     

Preparation and luminescence properties of Eu²⁺-doped CASN-sinoite multiphase system for LED

A series of Eu2+-doped CASN-sinoite multiphase system with a formula of(CaAlSiN3)(1-x)-(Si2N2O)x were successfully synthesized by the high temperature solid-state method.The crystal structure and morphology of the phosphors and their photoluminescence(PL) were investigated.For the Eu2+-doped samples the PL intensity approached its maximum when the molar ratio of Si2N2O in the samples was about 0.15.With increase of the concentration of Si2N2O,the emission peak shifted from 645 to 605 nm.It was because the spectroscopic polarizability(αsp) became smaller with the increase of Si/Al ratio or the adding of O atoms,which caused the change of crystal field strength.In addition,the full width at half maximum(FWHM) widened with the increase of x value,which was favor of the improvement of the color rendering index.     

Preparation and performance of electrodeposited Ni-TiB₂-Sm₂O₃ composite coatings

Sm2O3 and TiB2 were used as codeposited particles in electrodeposition Ni-TiB2-Sm2O3 composite coatings to improve its performance. Ni-TiB2-Sm2O3 composite coatings were electrodeposited in the nickel sulfate,hexadecylpyridinium bromide and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide solution containing TiB2 and Sm2O3 particles. The content of codeposited Sm2O3 in the composite coating was controlled by changing the concentrations of Sm2O3 particles in the solution. The composite coatings were characterized with X-ray diffraction(XRD) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer(ICP-AES) . The effects of Sm2O3 content on microhardness,wear weight loss and friction coefficient of composite coatings were investigated,respectively. The microhardness of the Ni-TiB2-Sm2O3 composite coatings was 19.35%,16.58%,2.03% higher than that of the Ni coating,Ni-Sm2O3 and Ni-TiB2 composite coatings,respectively. The wear weight loss of the Ni-TiB2-Sm2O3 composite coatings was 7,2.33,1.22 times lower than that of the Ni coating,Ni-Sm2O3 and Ni-TiB2 composite coatings,respectively. The friction coefficient of the Ni coating,Ni-Sm2O3,Ni-TiB2 and Ni-TiB2-Sm2O3 composite coatings were 0.712,0.649,0.850 and 0.788,respectively. The loading-bearing capacity and the wear-reducing effect of the Sm2O3 particles were closely related to the content of Sm2O3 particles in the composite coatings.     

Re-determination of the crystal structure of Ca2Y8Si6O26 and study on the luminescent properties of Ca2Y8Si6O26:Tb3+

The crystal structure of silicate oxyapatite Ca₂Y₈Si₆O₂₆ was indexed as hexagonal, space group P6₃/m, α=0.93515 nm, c=0.67872 nm, α=β=90°, γ=120°, V=0.5138692 nm³. Three strong peaks located at 32.079°, 32.595°, and 50.104° with d=2.7903, 2.74649, 1.8194 was in accordance with (211), (112), and (213) planes. The optimum concentration of Tb³⁺ in Ca₂Y₈Si₆O₂₆ to yield highest photoluminescence intensity was 10 mol.% of Y³⁺. The corresponding excitation spectrum consisted of an intense broad band from 220 to 260 nm. The photoluminescence measurements showed that the green emission originated from ⁵D₄?⁷F₅ was predominant in the measured range with strong doublet lines at 543 and 549 nm.     

Luminescent Properties of Ca2 Y8 ( SiO4 ) 6O2:Eu3 + Phosphors Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis Process

Using CaCO3, metal oxides (all dissolved by nitric acid) and tetraethoxysilane Si (OC2H5 )4 (TEOS) as the main starting materials, Ca2Y8 (SiO4 )6O2: Eu3 phosphors were synthesized by spray pyrolysis.X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as lifetimes were used to characterize the resulting phosphors.The results of XRD indicated that the 1000 ℃ annealed powders crystallize with the silicate oxyapatite structure.SEM study revealed that the phosphors consist of spherical particles with an average size of about 1 ～ 3 μm.In the crystalline Ca2 Y8 (SiO4)6O2: Eu3 phosphor, the Eu3 shows its characteristic emission corresponding to 5 D0 - 7 FJ ( J = 0, 1,2, 3, 4) transitions, with 5D0 - 7 F2 red emission (613 nm) as the most prominent group, agreeing well with the structure of the host material.     

Mechanical properties of UHMWPE/Sm₂O₃ composite shielding material

UHMWPE have good effect to slow down fast neutrons and Sm2O3 can absorb the thermal neutrons.A new style UHMWPE/ Sm2O3 composite shielding material was manufractured by hot-press moulding method.The microstructure and mechanical properties were characterized by IR and SEM.The results indicate that Sm2O3 distributed continuously,evenly in UHMWPE,and the interface was combined closely.Hardness of UHMWPE/Sm2O3 composites increased at first and decreased and tensile strength decreased with the increasing of Sm2O3 mass fraction.     

Fabrication and Luminescence Properties of Ca2Gd8(SiO4)6O2:Er3+ Phosphors via Sol-Gel Process

Ca2RE8(SiO4)6O2 (RE=Y, Gd, La) is a kind of ternary rare-earth-metal silicate with the oxyapatite structure, which was used as host materials for the luminescence of various rare earth and mercury-like ions. Ca2Gd8(SiO4)6O2:Er3 phosphors were prepared through the sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence spectra were used to characterize the resulting phosphors. The results of XRD indicate that the phosphors crystallized completely at 1000 ℃. SEM study reveals that the average grain size is 400～1000 nm. In Ca2Gd8(SiO4)6O2:Er3 phosphors, the Er3 shows its characteristic green emission at 528 nm (2H11/2-4I15/2) and 548 nm(4S3/2-4I15/2) upon excitation into 382 nm, with an optimum doping concentration of 5% (mole fraction) of Gd3 in the host lattices.     

Synthesis and characterization of yttrium and antimony codoped SnO₂ conductive nanoparticles

Y was used as a dopant in preparing conductive powder to improve its performance. Y and Sb co-doped SnO2 conductive nanoparticles were prepared by the complexation-coprecipitation method with Sn,Sb2O3 and Y2O3 as the raw materials. Crystal phase,thermal behavior and structure of the prepared conductive nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD) ,thermal analysis(TG-DSC) ,Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) techniques,respectively. The Y and Sb co-doped SnO2 conductive nanoparticles with a structure of tetragonal rutile had intense absorption in 4000-2500 cm-1,and the diameter ranged from 10 to 30 nm. The resistivity of Y and Sb co-doped SnO2 conductive nanoparticles was as low as 0.09 Ω·cm which was 4.6 times lower than that of Sb doped SnO2 conductive nanoparticles.     

Synthesis of well oil-dispersible BaYF₅:Yb³⁺/Er³⁺ nanocrystals with green upconversion fluorescence

Nearly monodisperse,regular-shaped and well oil-dispersible tetragonal BaYF5:0.2Yb3+/0.02Er3+ nanocrystals(NCs) were synthesized in water-ethanol-oleic acid-sodium oleate system.The as-obtained NCs exhibited bright upconversion(UC) fluorescence under the 980 nm excitation.Blue(2H9/2-4I15/2),green((2H11/2,4S3/2)-4I15/2) and red(4F9/2-4I15/2) transitions were observed.The results indicated that the relative intensity of green to red increased gradually with increasing power density,which were seldom in the previous work.Therefore,the UC properties and mechanism were studied in detail.     

Phase Equilibrium for the CaO-SiO₂-FeO-P₂O₅ System at 1673K for Dephosphorization With Multi Phase Flux

Development of the efficient hot metal dephosphorization processes during steelmaking process is one of the most essential topics for the production of high grade clean steels. Since the formation of solid solution composed of tricalcium phosphate and dicalcium silicate could obtain a considerable mass transfer of phosphorus from liquid slag into solid phase during hot metal dephosphorization, itcould obviously sustain a high phosphatecapacityof theliquid slag without huge consumption of lime or addition of fluxes, such as fluorite. The above outlines are the main idea of multi phase flux dephosphorization. For the last few decades, many studies have been done towards the scientific principles and the commercial utilization of this technique. However, the reaction mechanism by using multi phase fluxes remains unclear even by now due tolack of evidence. Based on those previous works, providing a reliable and available phase diagram for the fundamental understanding of the reaction mechanism of multi phase flux dephosphorization has become the main purpose of present research. As well known, the CaO-SiO2-FeO-P2O5 slag is the main component of current steelmaking process. Hence the CaO-SiO2-FeO-P2O5 system at equilibrium has been studied at 1673K with low oxygen partial pressure. The solid phase coexisting with liquid flux is approved to be the solid solution composed of CaO, SiO2 and P2O5. Phosphorus distributes mainly in solid solution rather than liquid phase.