Poly(MAA-Mn) for Triple-Layer Structure Synthesis of ZnS/ZnS:Mn/SiO2 Phosphors

Methacrylic acid (MAA) was used as a manganese carrier to prepare ZnS/MAA-Mn particles, and ZnS/ZnS:Mn phosphors were formed from ZnS/MAA-Mn by ion substitution through heat treatment. After silica coating on surface by chemical precipitation method with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), ZnS/ZnS:Mn/SiO₂ phosphors were prepared successfully as a new core/shell structure compound. The thickness of layers was controlled by adjusting concentrations of manganese (II) acetate (Mn(CH₃COO)₂) and TEOS. Structure, morphology, and composition of prepared phosphors were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Photoluminescence (PL) properties of ZnS with different Mn²⁺ content were analyzed by PL spectrometer. PL emission intensity and PL stability were analyzed for evaluating effects of silica coating and Mn²⁺ activator doping. As a result, the structure of two layers could be observed, and optimum composition of ZnS/ZnS:Mn/SiO₂ structure was also obtained.     

Synthesis of Multifunctional Mn‐Doped CdTe/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots

The synthesis of a novel water‐soluble Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS core‐shell quantum dots using a proposed ultrasonic assistant method and 3‐mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as stabilizer is descried. To obtain a high luminescent intensity, post‐preparative treatments, including the pH value, reaction temperature, reflux time and atmosphere, have been investigated. For an excellent fluorescence of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS, the optimal conditions were pH 11, reflux temperature 100°C and reflux time 3 h under N₂ atmosphere. While for phosphorescent Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS QDs, the synthesis at pH 11, reflux temperature 100°C and reflux time 3 h under air atmosphere gave the best strong phosphorescence. The characterizations of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS QDs were also identified using AFM, IR, powder XRD and thermogravimetric analysis. The data indicated that the photochemical stability and the photoluminescence of CdTe QDs are greatly enhanced by the outer inorganic ZnS shell, and the doping Mn²⁺ ions in the as‐prepared quantum dots contribute to strong luminescence. The strong luminescence of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS QDs reflected that Mn ions act as recombination centers for the excited electron‐hole pairs, attributing to the transition from the triplet state (⁴T₁) to the ground state (⁶A₁) of the Mn²⁺ ions. All the experiments demonstrated that the surface states played important roles in the optical properties of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS core‐shell quantum dots.     

Two Recent Studies Involving Pressure Tuning Spectroscopy

In this paper we present two recent studies utilizing pressure tuning spectroscopy. In the first of these we use high pressure photoluminescence to characterize the large difference in luminescence efficiency at one atmosphere between [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ and [Ru(bpy)₂py₂]²⁺ ions. The lower efficiency of the latter ion is due to dissipation of excitation energy by motion of the pyridines. The second study involves a combination of photo-and thermoluminescence of doped ZnS phosphors of technical importance. In the phosphor doped with CI and Cu⁺ we demonstrate that the donors are pinned to the conduction band and the acceptors to the valence band. We invoke the presence of “deep levels” to describe the behavior of the traps. In the phosphor doped with Mn⁺² plus C1- and Cu⁺ a series of traps appeared as the pressure was increased. By comparison with ZnS doped only with Mn⁺² it was possible to assign some of the traps to C1- and others to Mn⁺².     

Infrared, visible and ultraviolet absorptions of transition metal doped ZnS crystals with spin-polarized bands

The formation energies, electronic structures and optical properties of TM:ZnS systems (TM=Cr²⁺, Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺) are investigated by using the first principles method. It is found that the wurtzite and zinc-blende structures have about the same stability, and thus can coexist in the TM:ZnS system. From the wurtzite TM:ZnS, especially, a partially filled intermediate band (IB) is obtained at TM=Cr²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Fe²⁺, while it is absent at TM=Mn²⁺ and Co²⁺. The additional absorptions are obtained in infrared, visible and ultraviolet (UV) regions, due to the completely spin-polarized IB at Fermi level. The results are very helpful for both the designs and applications of TM:ZnS opto-electronics devices, such as solar-cell prototype.     

Ratiometric two-photon excited photoluminescence of quantum dots triggered by near-infrared-light for real-time detection of nitric oxide release in situ

Probe-donor integrated nanocomposites were developed from conjugating silica-coated Mn²⁺:ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with MoS₂ QDs and photosensitive nitric oxide (NO) donors (Fe₄S₃(NO)₇⁻, RBS). Under excitation with near-infrared (NIR) light at 808 nm, the Mn²⁺:ZnS@SiO₂/MoS₂-RBS nanocomposites showed the dual-emissive two-photon excited photoluminescence (TPEPL) that induced RBS photolysis to release NO in situ. NO caused TPEPL quenching of Mn²⁺:ZnS QDs, but it produced almost no impact on the TPEPL of MoS₂ QDs. Hence, the nanocomposites were developed as a novel QDs-based ratiometric TPEPL probe for real-time detection of NO release in situ. The ratiometric TPEPL intensity is nearly linear (R² = 0.9901) with NO concentration in the range of 0.01∼0.8 μM, which corresponds to the range of NO release time (0∼15 min). The detection limit was calculated to be approximately 4 nM of NO. Experimental results confirmed that this novel ratiometric TPEPL probe possessed high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of NO against potential competitors, and especially showed high detection performance for NIR-light triggered NO release in tumor intracellular microenvironments. These results would promote the development of versatile probe-donor integrated systems, also providing a facile and efficient strategy to real-time detect the highly controllable drug release in situ, especially in physiological microenvironments.     

Synthesis and characterization thesulphides type ZnS(1-x)MSx

ZnS_(1-x)MS_x(x=0.01 and M=Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Eu²⁺) compounds have been obtained by precipitation from homogeneous solutions of zinc, copper, manganese and europium salts, with S^2- as the precipitating anion, formed by the decomposition of thioacetamide. The thermal study of the milled zinc acetate, thioacetamide, copper acetate, manganese acetate and europium nitrate, respectively, was studied for thermal analyis TG/DSC. XRD respect exhibits a zinc blend crystal structure. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Luminescence Enhancement based Sensing of L‐Cysteine by Doped Quantum Dots

The interaction of a presynthesized orange emitting Mn²⁺‐doped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with L‐Cysteine (L?Cys) led to enhance emission intensity (at 596 nm) and quantum yield (QY). Importantly, the Mn²⁺‐doped ZnS QDs exhibited high sensitivity towards L?Cys, with a limit of detection of 0.4±0.02 μM (in the linear range of 3.3–13.3 μM) and high selectivity in presence of interfering amino acids and metal ions. The association constant of L?Cys was determined to be 0.36×10⁵ M^?1. The amplified passivation of the surface of Mn²⁺‐doped ZnS QDs following the incorporation and binding of L?Cys is accounted for the enhancement in their luminescence features. Moreover, the luminescence enhancement‐based detection will bring newer dimension towards sensing application.     

Electrophoretic properties of BSA-coated quantum dots

Low toxic InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), ZnS:Mn²⁺/ZnS nanocrystals and CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles were rendered water-dispersible by different ligand-exchange methods. Eventually, they were coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. All particles were characterised by isotachophoresis (ITP), laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and agarose gel electrophoresis. It was found that the electrophoretic mobility and colloidal stability of ZnS:Mn²⁺/ZnS and CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles, which bore short-chain surface ligands, was primarily governed by charges on the nanoparticles, whereas InP/ZnS nanocrystals were not charged per se. BSA-coated nanoparticles showed lower electrophoretic mobility, which was attributed to their larger size and smaller overall charge. However, these particles were colloidally stable. This stability was probably caused by steric stabilisation of the BSA coating.     

Synthesis of ZnS Nanospheres in Microemulsion Containing Cationic Gemini Surfactant

The reverse microemulsion containing cationic gemini surfactant trimethylene‐1,3‐bis(dodecyldimethyl ammonium bromide) (12‐3‐12, 2Br^?) is applied to synthesize ZnS nanospheres. Narrow size distributed ZnS nanospheres with controllable size and uniform morphology are successfully fabricated by direct reaction of ZnCl₂ and Na₂S in the reverse microemulsion systems. Except for the appearance of large aggregates owing to quantum size effects when the incubation time is 2 h, with increasing the incubation time from 12 to 48 h, the diameter of the ZnS nanosphere can be controlled as 20–25 nm and 140 nm, respectively. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV‐visible absorption spectroscopy are applied to characterize the resulting ZnS nanoparticles. In the system used in the present study uniform nanosphere morphology can be synthesized, with the incubation time as an important factor in controlling the size of as‐prepared products.     

Luminescence Tuning of Sr8MgCe(PO4)7:Eu2+,Mn2+ Phosphors: Structure Refinement,Site Occupancy,and Energy Transfer

Sr₈MgCe(PO₄)₇:Eu²⁺,Mn²⁺ phosphor with whitlockite‐type structure was prepared by a combustion‐assisted solid‐state reaction. The crystal structure and luminescence properties were investigated. Under UV radiation, Sr₈MgCe(PO₄)₇ host exhibits a violet‐blue emission band from Ce³⁺ ions. When Eu²⁺/Mn²⁺ are doped into the host, the samples excited with 270 nm UV radiation present multicolor emissions due to the energy transfer (ET) from Ce³⁺ to Eu²⁺/Mn²⁺. The emitting color of Sr₈MgCe(PO₄)₇:Eu²⁺ can be tuned from violet‐blue to yellow‐green, whereas Sr₈MgCe(PO₄)₇:Mn²⁺ can emit red light. Under excitation with long wavelength at 360 nm, Sr₈MgCe(PO₄)₇:Eu²⁺ phosphor shows a broadband emission from 390 to 700 nm, which is attributed to the 4f⁶5d¹→4f⁷ transition of Eu²⁺ without the contribution from Ce³⁺ emission. Tunable full‐color emitting light can be achieved in the Eu²⁺ and Mn²⁺‐codoped Sr₈MgCe(PO₄)₇ phosphor by ET_Eu–Mn through control of the levels of doped Eu²⁺ and Mn²⁺ ions. These results suggest that Sr₈MgCe(PO₄)₇:Eu²⁺,Mn²⁺ phosphor has potential applications in NUV chip pumped white LEDs.     

Energy Transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+/Dy3+/Mn2+ in Ca9Ga(PO4)7 Phosphors: Synthesis,Structure and Tunable Multicolor Luminescent Properties

A series of Ca₉Ga(PO₄)₇:Ce³⁺/Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ phosphors with tunable color, in which Ce³⁺ acts as the sensitizer, was synthesized. Energy transfer (ET) from Ce³⁺ to Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ was investigated in detail. Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ single-doped Ca₉Ga(PO₄)₇ can exhibit green, yellow, and red emission, respectively. Incorporating Ce³⁺ into a Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ single-doped Ca₉Ga(PO₄)₇ phosphor can remarkably promote the luminous efficiency of the Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺ ions. This enhancement originates from an efficient ET from Ce³⁺ to Tb³⁺/Dy³⁺/Mn²⁺. The ET was validated by luminescence spectra, decay dynamics, and schematic energy levels. Moreover, the intensity ratio of red emission of Mn²⁺ to violet emission of Ce³⁺ was analyzed based on energy-transfer and lifetime measurements. In Ce³⁺-Tb³⁺, Ce³⁺-Dy³⁺, and Ce³⁺-Mn²⁺ doped Ca₉Ga(PO₄)₇, the emitting color changed from violet to green, yellow, and red, respectively, which indicates the potential use of this new tunable phosphor in UV light-emitting diodes.     

High pressure synthesis and crystal structure of a new series of perovskite-like compounds CMn7O12 (C = Na,Ca, Cd,Sr, La,Nd)

A new series of perovskite-like compounds CMn₇O₁₂ have been synthesized under high pressure and high temperature conditions. C is a large divalent or trivalent cation such as Ca, Cd, Sr, La and Nd. The structures of the quenched materials have been determined from powder X-ray data. They are distortions of the NaMn₇O₁₂ cubic structure. The [C²⁺Mn³⁺₃](Mn³⁺₃Mn⁴⁺)O₁₂ compounds are trigonal ($\text{R}\text{3}$). The C²⁺ and Mn³⁺ as well as the Mn³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ cations are ordered on the corresponding A and B sites of the perovskite structure, respectively. The [C³⁺Mn³⁺₃] (Mn³⁺₄)O₁₂ compounds are monoclinic ($\text{I}\text{2}\text{m}$). In these compounds the order exists only in the A sites. It is shown that the lower symmetry may be the result of a cooperative Jahn-Teller effect of the Mn³⁺ cations occupying the B sites.     

Eu2+ & Mn2+‐Coactivated Ba3Gd(PO4)3 Orange‐Yellow‐Emitting Phosphor with Tunable Color Tone for UV‐Excited White LEDs

A novel orange‐yellow‐emitting Ba₃Gd(PO₄)₃:x Eu²⁺,y Mn²⁺ phosphor is prepared by high‐temperature solid‐state reaction. The crystal structure of Ba₃Gd(PO₄)₃:0.005 Eu²⁺,0.04 Mn²⁺ is determined by Rietveld refinement analysis on powder X‐ray diffraction data, which shows that the cations are disordered on a single crystallographic site and the oxygen atoms are distributed over two partially occupied sites. The photoluminescence excitation spectra show that the developed phosphor has an efficient broad absorption band ranging from 230 to 420 nm, perfectly matching the characteristic emission of UV‐light emitting diode (LED) chips. The emission spectra show that the obtained phosphors possess tunable color emissions from yellowish‐green through yellow and ultimately to reddish‐orange by simply adjusting the Mn²⁺ content (y) in Ba₃Gd(PO₄)₃:0.005 Eu²⁺,y Mn²⁺ host. The tunable color emissions origin from the change in intensity between the 4f–5d transitions in the Eu²⁺ ions and the ⁴T₁‐⁶A₁ transitions of the Mn²⁺ ions through the energy transfer from the Eu²⁺ to the Mn²⁺ ions. In addition, the mechanism of the energy transfer between the Eu²⁺ and Mn²⁺ ions are also studied in terms of the Inokuti–Hirayama theoretical model. The present results indicate that this novel orange‐yellow‐emitting phosphor can be used as a potential candidate for the application in white LEDs.     

Suppression of charge imbalance via Li+-Mn4+ co-incorporated Sr2YSbO6 red phosphors for warm w-LEDs

Mn⁴⁺-activated double perovskite phosphors with composition diversity have presented excellent luminescent performances. However, the charge imbalance between Mn⁴⁺ and matrix cations would increase non-radiative recombination and reduce the structural stability. Here, novel high-efficiency stable Li⁺/Mn⁴⁺ co-incorporated Sr₂YSbO₆ red phosphors are successfully synthesized via a solid-state reaction method for warm w-LEDs, where the Li⁺ ions have the effect of charge balance for Sr₂YSbO₆:Mn⁴⁺ and reduce the non-radiative energy transfer among Mn⁴⁺ ions. It is demonstrated that the substitution of Li⁺–Mn⁴⁺ pairs for Sb⁵⁺ can enhance the bonding with low-shifted diffraction peaks and high emission intensity, and prolong the decay lifetime, compared with those of Mn⁴⁺ single-doped ones. Impressively, the thermal stability is enhanced to 89.72% from 84.61% at the original value of 303 K. Finally, a w-LED device based on the optimal phosphor Sr₂YSbO₆:0.01Mn⁴⁺/0.01Li⁺ red component exhibits a correlated color temperature of 4487 K and color rendering index of 80.2. Therefore, the incorporated Li⁺ ions serve as both charge compensator and co-activator in Mn⁴⁺-activated double perovskite phosphors with the aim of high luminescent performance and thermal stability.     

Kinetics of chloroplast-mediated photoxidation of diketogluonate

Abstract— Illuminated chloroplasts can mediate a photoxidation of diketogulonic acid (DKGA) with rates of oxygen uptake equivalent to rates of Hill reactions with ferricyanide or quinone. The photoxidation of DKGA is sensitive to dichlorophenyl dimethylurea (DCMU) and exhibits the drop in quantum yield at long wavelengths characteristic of photosystem II. Still, the reaction is only partially inactivated by heating chloroplasts at 50° for 10 min (which destroys oxygen evolution). The photoxidation is inhibited by copper and detergents; and is stimulated by added flavin (or methyl viologen) and manganous ions. A model system containing Mn³⁺ (as manganipyrophosphate) and DKGA, mimics the chloroplast system. Pre-illuminated chloroplast suspensions can be substituted for Mn³⁺ in the model dark reaction. It seems that a light-dependent oxidation of Mn²⁺ to Mn³⁺ by photosystem II is the essential contribution of the chloroplasts. Electrons from Mn²⁺ move through the electron transport system to ferricyanide or to photosystem I where, via flavin (or methyl viologen), oxygen is reduced to H₂O₂.     

Optical and ESR investigations of lanthanum aluminates LaMg1−xMnxO19 single crystals with magnetoplumbite-like structure

New lanthanum aluminates LaMAl₁₁O₁₉ (M²⁺ = Ni, Co, Mn, Mg_1?xMn_x, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1), with magnetoplumbite-like structure have been obtained as single crystals. This paper is particularly devoted to the Mn²⁺ and $\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{Mn}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}$ mixed compounds, which exhibit promising luminescent properties. Several characteristics of the crystals are given. The absorption spectra of the materials, as grown, are assigned to Mn²⁺ ions in tetrahedral sites. After annealing in air new absorptions attributed to octahedral Mn³⁺ ions, appear. The ESR spectra of Mn²⁺ in all these crystals exhibit axial symmetry. For x ≤ 0.25 they arise from isolated Mn²⁺ ions in slightly distorted tetrahedral sites and reveal a strong disorder effect. For x ≥0.5 the spectra consist of a single line, attributed to clusters of magnetically interacting Mn²⁺ ions.     

Site Occupancies,Electron–Vibration Interaction and Energy Transfer of CaMgSi2O6: Eu2+, Mn2+ Phosphors for Potential Temperature-Sensing and Anti-counterfeiting Applications

Eu²⁺-, Mn²⁺- and Eu²⁺−Mn²⁺-doped CaMgSi₂O₆ phosphors have been prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction. Systematic investigation of the concentration- and temperature-dependent luminescence of Mn²⁺ showed that Mn²⁺ ions occupy two distinct sites in CaMgSi₂O₆. Electron–vibration interaction (EVI) analyses of Mn²⁺ ions revealed Huang–Rhys factors of 4.73 and 2.82 as well as effective phonon energies of 313 and 383 cm⁻¹ for the two sites. Eu²⁺−Mn²⁺ energy transfer is also discussed, and its efficiency is estimated by lifetime and luminescence spectra. The different thermal quenching behaviours of Eu²⁺ and Mn²⁺, the distinct emission colours of Eu²⁺ (blue, band peak at ∼451 nm) and Mn²⁺ (yellow–red range, band peaks at ∼583 and 693 nm) endow the co-doped samples with potential applications in luminescence thermometry and temperature-/excitation wavelength-responsive dual anti-counterfeiting.     

Effect of Manganese Valence on Specific Capacitance in Supercapacitors of Manganese Oxide Microspheres

Manganese oxides have attracted great interest in electrochemical energy storage due to high theoretical specific capacitance and abundant valence states. The multiple valence states in the redox reactions are beneficial for enhancing the electrochemical properties. Herein, three manganese microspheres were prepared by a one-pot hydrothermal method and subsequent calcination at different temperatures using carbon spheres as templates. The trivalent manganese of Mn₂O₃ exhibited multiple redox transitions of Mn³⁺/Mn²⁺ and Mn⁴⁺/Mn³⁺ during the intercalation/deintercalation of electrolyte ions. The possible redox reactions of Mn₂O₃ were proposed based on the cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammogram results. Mn₂O₃ microsphere integrated the advantages of multiple redox couples and unique structure, demonstrating a high specific capacitance and long cycling stability. The symmetric Mn₂O₃//Mn₂O₃ device yielded a maximum energy density of 29.3 Wh kg⁻¹ at 250 W kg⁻¹.     

Facile synthesis of N-acetyl-L-cysteine capped ZnS quantum dots as an eco-friendly fluorescence sensor for Hg2+

This paper described an investigation of a novel eco-friendly fluorescence sensor for Hg²⁺ ions based on N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC)-capped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) in aqueous solution. By using safe and low-cost materials, ZnS QDs modified by NAC were easily synthesized in aqueous medium via a one-step method. The quantitative detection of Hg²⁺ ions was developed based on fluorescence quenching of ZnS QDs with high sensitivity and selectivity. Under optimal conditions, its response was linearly proportional to the concentration of Hg²⁺ ions in a range from 0 to 2.4 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 5.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹. Most of common physiologically relevant cations and anions did not interfere with the detection of Hg²⁺. The proposed method was applied to the trace determination of Hg²⁺ ions in water samples. The possible quenching mechanism was also examined by fluorescence and UV-vis absorption spectra.     

A New Mode of Energy Transfer between Mn2+ and Eu2+ in Nitride‐Based Phosphor SrAlSi4N7 with Tunable Light and Excellent Thermal Stability

In this work, reciprocal energy transfer between Mn²⁺ and Eu²⁺ ions in nitride SrAlSi₄N₇ has been found and investigated in detail. In contrast to Mn²⁺‐ and Eu²⁺‐activated oxide‐based phosphors, the red light centered at 608 nm is ascribed to 4f–5d transitions of Eu²⁺ ions and Mn²⁺‐activated SrAlSi₄N₇ emits a cyan light peaking at 500 nm. Additionally, the special broad excitation band of SrAlSi₄N₇:Mn²⁺ centered at 362 nm has been covered by that of Eu²⁺ ions ranging from 300 to 550 nm. The overlap of the energy level of Mn²⁺ and Eu²⁺ ions creates the conditions for reciprocal energy transfer between Eu²⁺ and Mn²⁺ ions. A series of SrAlSi₄N₇:0.002 Mn²⁺,xEu²⁺ (0≤x≤005) with tunable light emission have been synthesized and the decay curves of samples prove the reciprocal occurrence of the energy transfer between Mn²⁺ and Eu²⁺ ions. This mode of energy transfer not only prevents the loss of energy, but also improves the thermal stability, and the intensity of SrAlSi₄N₇:Mn²⁺,Eu²⁺ at 150 °C is still beyond 92 % of the initial intensity. The results provide a new mode of energy transfer, which is expected to reduce the drawbacks existing in energy transfer.