Low-temperature synthesis of Y2SiO5:Eu powders using mesoporous silica and their luminescence properties

This paper reports the synthesis of Eu³⁺ ions-doped Y₂SiO₅ (Y₂SiO₅:Eu³⁺) powders by mesoporous template route. Using mesoporous silica SBA-15 as silica source, Y₂SiO₅:Eu³⁺ powders were prepared by solid-state reaction at a calcination temperature of 1300 °C without fluxes. The prepared Y₂SiO₅:Eu³⁺ powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results show that the crystalline Y₂SiO₅:Eu³⁺ particles are dense and have a morphology similar to SBA-15. The low calcination temperature is attributed to the high reactive activity of SBA-15 with large surface area and non-crystalline structure. The Y₂SiO₅:Eu³⁺ powders prepared at a low calcination temperature show luminescence properties similar to the reported results of Eu³⁺ doped-Y₂SiO₅ samples prepared at high temperatures.