Synthesis of Gd3PO7:Eu nanospheres via a facile combustion method and optical properties

Eu³⁺-doped Gd₃PO₇ nanospheres with an average diameter of ∼300 nm and a narrow size distribution have been prepared by a facile combustion method and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The luminescent properties were systemically studied by the measurement of excitation/emission spectra, and emission spectra under different temperatures, as well as by photostability. The strong red-emission intensity peaking at 614 nm originates the ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transition and is observed under 254-nm irradiation, indicating that Eu³⁺ ions in Gd₃PO₇ mainly occupied non-centrosymmetry sites. The CIE1931 XY chromaticity coordinates of Gd₃PO₇:Eu³⁺ nanospheres are (x=0.654, y=0.345) in the red area, which is near the National Television Standard Committee standard chromaticity coordinates for red. Thus, Gd₃PO₇:Eu³⁺ nanospheres may be potential red-emitting phosphors for PDP and Xe-based mercury-free lamps.     

Sonochemical synthesis and luminescence properties of single-crystalline BaF2:Eu nanospheres

BaF₂ nanocrystals doped with 5.0 mol% Eu³⁺ has been successfully synthesized via a facile, quick and efficient ultrasonic solution route employing the reactions between Ba(NO₃)₂, Eu(NO₃)₃ and KBF₄ under ambient conditions. The product was characterized via X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron micrographs (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron micrographs (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The ultrasonic irradiation has a strong effect on the morphology of the BaF₂:Eu³⁺ particles. The caddice-sphere-like particles with an average diameter of 250 nm could be obtained with ultrasonic irradiation, whereas only olive-like particles were produced without ultrasonic irradiation. The results of XRD indicate that the obtained BaF₂:Eu³⁺ nanospheres crystallized well with a cubic structure. The PL spectrum shows that the BaF₂:Eu³⁺ nanospheres has the characteristic emission of Eu^{3+ 5}D₀-⁷F_J (J=1-4) transitions, with the magnetic dipole ⁵D₀-⁷F₁ allowed transition (590 nm) being the most prominent emission line.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Luminescent Properties of La2Zr2O7:Eu3+ Nanorods

The Eu³⁺-doped La₂Zr₂O₇ phosphor with rod-like morphology was successfully synthesized by conventional solid state reaction and hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction patterns, transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectra were employed to charac-terize its structure and morphology as well as luminescent properties. The results indicated that the red-emitting phosphor La₂Zr₂O₇:Eu³⁺ had well crystallized and belonged to the cubic structure with space group of Fd3m. The as-obtained product mainly appeared as straight nanorods with an average diameter of 47 nm and length of 50-700 nm. The pos-sible growth mechanism was also discussed. It was found that under blue excitation with a wavelength of 466 nm, the La₂Zr₂O₇:Eu³⁺ phosphor exhibited a characteristic red emission at 616 nm that was attributed to the hypersensitive ⁵DO_→⁷F2 _{electric dipole transition of Eu³⁺ ions. Meanwhile, it was more interesting to note that the emission of ⁵D}1_→⁷FJ _{(J=0, 1, 2) transitions and the splitting patterns of ⁵D}0_→⁷FJ _{(J=1, 2, 4) transitions of Eu³⁺ ions can be observed in the luminescent spectra of La2Zr2O7:Eu³⁺. It was demonstrated that Eu³⁺ preferred to occupy a low symmetry site.}     

Preparation and optical properties of SrF2:Eu nanospheres

SrF₂:Eu³⁺ nanospheres with homogeneous diameter have been synthesized by a microemulsion-mediated hydrothermal method for the first time, in which quaternary microemulsion of CTAB/water/cyclohexane/n-pentanol was used. The possible reaction mechanism and the luminescent properties of SrF₂:Eu³⁺ nanospheres were also investigated in this paper. The morphology and grain sizes of final products were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, indicating that most of the products were nanospheres with an average diameter of ∼50 nm. Room-temperature emission spectra, recorded under 394-nm excitation, showed that the transition of ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁ emission be dominating in SrF₂:Eu³⁺ nanospheres. From the dependence of the luminescence intensity on the concentration of Eu³⁺ ions, the optimal dopant concentration is 2 mol%.     

Fabrication and luminescent properties of the core-shell structured YNbO4:Eu/Tb@SiO2 spherical particles

The core-shell structured YNbO₄:Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺@SiO₂ particles were realized by coating the YNbO₄:Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺ phosphors onto the surface of spherical silica via a sol-gel process. The obtained materials were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FT-IR), photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra. The results indicate that 600 °C annealed samples consist of amorphous silica core and crystalline YNbO₄:Re shell, having perfect spherical morphology with uniform size distribution. Upon excitation by UV or electron beam, these phosphors show the characteristic ⁵D₀-⁷F_1-4 emission lines of Eu³⁺ and the characteristic ⁵D₄-⁷F_3-6 emission lines of Tb³⁺. The PL intensities of Eu³⁺ can be tuned by altering the annealing temperature and the coating number of YNbO₄:Eu³⁺ layers.     

Synthesis and luminescence properties of Eu(III)-doped silica nanorods based on the sol–gel process

Uniform Eu³⁺-doped SiO₂ nanorods were synthesized through a simple sol–gel method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant template and tetraethylorthosilicate as silicon source. X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectra were employed to characterize the products in detail. The nanorods have good uniformity and their diameters and lengths are in the range of 200–300 and 500–700 nm through the SEM images, respectively. The formation of the nanorods was studied by taking SEM images after different aging time. The experimental results indicate that CTAB plays a crucial role in the formation of the silica nanorods. The luminescence of Eu³⁺-doped SiO₂ nanorods is dominated by red-emission around 612 nm due to intra-atomic 4f → 4f (⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂₎ transition of Eu³⁺ ions. Furthermore, the effect of doping concentrations of Eu³⁺ ions on the luminescence was investigated.     

Solvothermal synthesis and luminescent properties of monodisperse LaPO4:Ln (Ln=Eu, Ce, Tb) particles

Monodisperse rare-earth ion (Eu³⁺, Ce³⁺, Tb³⁺) doped LaPO₄ particles with oval morphology were successfully prepared through a facile solvothermal process without further heat treatment. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), photoluminescence (PL) spectra and the kinetic decays were performed to characterize these samples. The XRD results reveal that all the doped samples are well crystalline at 180 °C and assigned to the monoclinic monazite-type structure of the LaPO₄ phase. It has been shown that all the as-synthesized samples show perfectly oval morphology with narrow size distribution. The possible growth mechanism of the LaPO₄:Ln has been investigated as well. Upon excitation by ultraviolet radiation, the LaPO₄:Eu³⁺ phosphors show the characteristic ⁵D₀−⁷F_1-4 emission lines of Eu³⁺, while the LaPO₄:Ce³⁺, Tb³⁺ phosphors demonstrate the characteristic ⁵D₄−⁷F_3-6 emission lines of Tb³⁺.     

Formation of Eu2O3 Nanorods through Solvothermal Routes by Surfactant Assistance

Eu₂O₃nanorods were synthesized and characterized. The crystallites of Eu₂O(CO₃)₂·H₂O nanorods and Eu₂O₃ nanorods were obtained by means of surfactant assistance, with aqueous butanol solution as the solvent and hexamethylene tetramine as the base. The characteristics of the nanorods were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The Eu₂O₃ nanorod is about 80–300 nm in diameter and 1–5 µm in length. The formation mechanism of the 1D products was also proposed.     

Photocurable silica hybrid organic–inorganic films for photonic applications

This paper reports the detailed preparation process of Eu²⁺ activated Sr₃Al₂O₆ by a sol-gel method in the reducing atmosphere. The effect of the calcining temperature on the microstructure, crystalline particle morphology and luminescence properties of Sr₃Al₂O₆:Eu²⁺ is systematically discussed. X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence spectrophotometer were employed to characterize the phosphor. The Sr₃Al₂O₆:Eu²⁺ phosphor powders calcined at 1200 °C for 2 h possessed a Sr₃Al₂O₆ single cubic phase. The Sr₃Al₂O₆:Eu²⁺ crystallites showed flower-like morphology. The Sr₃Al₂O₆:Eu²⁺ phosphor powders exhibited a red broad emission band with emission peak at 612 nm under 472 nm excitation. Especially the Sr₃Al₂O₆:Eu²⁺ phosphor powders prepared at 1200 °C showed the strongest luminescence intensity, due to the pure phase and higher crystallinity of Sr₃Al₂O₆.     

Ag-catalyzed Synthesis of Tb(BO2)3 Nanorods

Well-crystallized with excellent luminescent properties, Tb(BO₂)₃ nanorods were first suc-cessfully synthesized by a simple solid-state method with Ag as catalyst. The result of X-ray diffraction showed that the Tb(BO₂)₃ nanorods could be well-crystallized at 700 oC. As-prepared straight nanorods of Tb(BO₂)₃ had the typical diameters in the range of 100-200 nm, the thickness of 30-50 nm and the lengths up to 3 μm by transmission elec-tron microscopy and the corresponding selected area electron diffraction indicated that the nanorod calcined at 700 oC was single-crystalline. Based on the fact that Ag nanoparti-cles attached to the tips and middles of the Tb(BO₂)₃ nanorods, a growth model of the Tb(BO₂)₃ nanorods was proposed. Photoluminescence spectra under excitation at 369 nm showed that these Tb(BO₂)₃ phosphors had a green emission at 546 nm, which is ascribed to ⁵D₄→⁷F₅ transition. The effect of calcining temperature on the structures, morphologies, and luminescent properties of Tb(BO₂)₃ phosphors were studied.     

A novel red emitting phosphor Ca2SnO4: Eu

A novel red emitting phosphor, Eu³⁺-doped Ca₂SnO₄, was prepared by the solid-state reaction. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of Ca₂SnO₄: Eu³⁺. Field-emission scanning electron-microscopy (FE-SEM) observation indicated a narrow size-distribution of about 500 nm for the particles with spherical shape. Photoluminescence measurements indicated that the phosphor exhibits bright red emission at about 615 nm under UV excitation. The excellent luminescence properties make it possible as a good candidate for plasma display panels (PDP) application. Splitting of the ⁵D₀-⁷F_J transitions of Ca₂SnO₄: Eu³⁺ suggests that the Eu³⁺ ions occupied two nonequivalent sites in the crystallite. The luminescence lifetime measurement showed a bi-exponential decay, providing other evidence for the existence of two different environments for Eu³⁺ ions.     

Electrospinning preparation and properties of NaGdF4:Eu3+ nanowires

Eu³⁺ doped NaGdF₄ (NaGdF₄:Eu³⁺) nanocrystals in hexagonal crystal phase were prepared by a polyol method, and the size and morphology controllable NaGdF₄:Eu³⁺/PVP nano-composite fibers were obtained through the electrospinning technique, and then the NaGdF₄:Eu³⁺ nanowires were obtained by followed annealing. By changing the ratio of PVP to NaGdF₄ as well as the calcination temperature, the optimal conditions for synthesizing the NaGdF₄ nanowires were obtained, and the structural properties of the synthesized sample were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and field emission scanning electron micrographs (SEM) images. The luminescent properties of the NaGdF₄:Eu³⁺ nanocrystals and nanowires were also studied in this paper. We observed that the luminescent intensity of NaGdF₄:Eu³⁺ nanowires was greatly increased compared to the annealed NaGdF₄:Eu³⁺ nanocrystals at the same temperature.     

Studies on hydrothermal synthesis of photolumniscent rare earth (Eu3+ & Tb3+) doped NG@FeMoO4 for enhanced visible light photodegradation of methylene blue dye

FeMoO₄ nanorods and their rare earth (Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺) doped composites with nitrogen doped graphene (NG) were synthesized by facile hydrothermal method in aqueous medium. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the as-synthesized samples was done to study the phase purity and crystalline nature. FTIR and Raman Spectroscopy have been studied for investigating the bonding in nanostructures. The surface morphology of the samples was investigated with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photolumniscent nature of the samples was investigated by the using the fluorescence spectrophotometer. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the prepared pure FeMoO₄ and its rare earth doped composites with nitrogen doped graphene was evaluated as function of visible light irradiation versus concentration of methylene blue (MB dye). The prepared nanocomposites show enhanced photocatalytic efficiency as compared to the bare FeMoO₄ nanorods.     

钙钛矿结构荧光材料MZrO3:Eu3+,A (M=Ca2+, Ba2+; A=Li+, Na+, K+)的制备及其发光性质

Calcium and barium zirconate powders based upon CaZrO₃:Eu³⁺,A and BaZrO₃:Eu³⁺,A (A=Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) were prepared by combustion synthesis method and heating to ~1000℃ to improve crystallinity.The structure and morphology of materials were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanningelectron microscopy (SEM). XRD results showed that CaZrO₃:Eu³⁺,A and BaZrO₃:Eu³⁺,A (A=Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) perovskites possessed orthorhombic and cubic structures, respectively. The morphologies of all powderswere very similar consisting of small, coagulated, cubical particles with narrow size distributions andsmooth and regular surfaces. The characteristic luminescences of Eu³⁺ ions in CaZrO₃:Eu³⁺,A (A=Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) lattices were present with strong emissions at 614 and 625 nm for ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transitions with other weakeremissions observed at 575, 592, 655, and 701 nm corresponding to ⁵D₀→⁷F_n transitions (where n=0, 1, 3, 4 respectively). In BaZrO₃:Eu³⁺ both the ⁵D₀→⁷F₁ and ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transitions at 595 and 613 nm were strong.Photoluminescence intensities of CaZrO₃:Eu³⁺ samples were higher than those of BaZrO₃:Eu³⁺ lattices. Thisremarkable increase of photoluminescence intensity (corresponding to ⁵D₀→⁷F_n transitions) was observedin CaZrO₃:Eu³⁺ and BaZrO₃:Eu³⁺ if co-doped with Li⁺ ions. An additional broad band composed of manypeaks between 440 to 575 nm was observed in BaZrO₃:Eu³⁺,,A samples. The intensity of this band wasgreatest in Li⁺ co-doped samples and lowest for K⁺ doped samples.     

Rietveld refinement and photoluminescent properties of a new blue-emitting material: Eu activated SrZnP2O7

A new efficient blue phosphor, Eu²⁺ activated SrZnP₂O₇, has been synthesized at 1000 °C under reduced atmosphere and the crystal structure and photoluminescence properties have been investigated. The crystal structure of SrZnP₂O₇ was obtained via Rietveld refinement of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. It was found that SrZnP₂O₇ crystallizes in space group of P2₁/n (no. 14), Z=4, and the unit cell dimensions are: a=5.30906(2) Å, b=8.21392(3) Å, c=12.73595(5) Å, β=90.1573(3)°, and V=555.390(3) Å³. Under ultraviolet excitation (200-400 nm), efficient Eu²⁺ emission peaked at 420 nm was observed, of which the luminescent efficiency at the optimal concentration of Eu²⁺ (4 mol%) was estimated to be 96% as that of BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu²⁺. Hence, the SrZnP₂O₇:Eu²⁺ exhibit great potential as a phosphor in different applications, such as ultraviolet light emitting diode and photo-therapy lamps.     

Luminescence functionalization of magnetite/multiwalled carbon nanotubes by YVO4:Eu3+ phosphors

Multifunctional nanocomposites with magnetic and luminescent properties were synthesized by a combination process of hydrothermal and sol–gel techniques. In this process, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were decorated with Fe₃O₄ beads, forming Fe₃O₄/MWNTs nanoparticles. Then, the surface of Fe₃O₄/MWNTs samples was functionalized by the deposition of YVO₄:Eu³⁺ phosphors. X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy disperse X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectra were used to characterize the samples. The results reveal that the nanocomposites exhibit high magnetization (38 emu/g) and show the characteristic emission of Eu³⁺ (⁵D₀ → ⁷F_1–4). This functionalized nanocomposite is expected to find potential applications in biomedical areas.     

One-dimensional α-MnO2: Trapping chemistry of tunnel structures, structural stability, and magnetic transitions

Highly crystalline one-dimensional (1D) α-MnO₂ nanostructures were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. All samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimeter, and infrared spectroscopy. During the formation reactions, the tunnel structure of 1D α-MnO₂ was simultaneously modified by NH₄⁺ species and water molecules. The amount of NH₄⁺ species that were trapped in the tunnels is almost independent on the reaction temperature, while the total water content increased with the reaction temperature. The average diameter of α-MnO₂ nanorods increased from 9.2 to 16.5 nm when the reaction temperature increased from 140 to 220 °C. 1D α-MnO₂ was destabilized by a subsequent high-temperature treatment in air, which is accompanied by a structural transformation to 1D Mn₂O₃ of a cubic structure. At low temperatures, all 1D α-MnO₂ nanorods showed two magnetic transitions that were characterized by a decreased Néel temperature with rod diameter reduction. According to the effective magnetic moments experimentally measured, Mn ions presented in the nanorods were determined to be in a mixed valency of high spin state Mn⁴⁺/Mn³⁺.     

Morphology control and luminescence properties of BaMgAl10O17:Eu phosphors prepared by spray pyrolysis

Starting from the aqueous solutions of metal nitrates with citric acid and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as additives, BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu²⁺ (BAM:Eu²⁺) phosphors were prepared by a two-step spray pyrolysis (SP) method. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence spectra were used to characterize the resulted BAM:Eu²⁺ phosphors. The obtained BAM:Eu²⁺ phosphor particles have spherical shape, submicron size (0.5-3 μm). The effects of process conditions of the spray pyrolysis, such as molecular weight and concentration of PEG, on the morphology and luminescence properties of phosphor particles were investigated. Adequate amount of PEG was necessary for obtaining spherical particles, and the optimum emission intensity could be obtained when the concentration of PEG was 0.03 g/ml in the precursor solution. Moreover, the emission intensity of the phosphors increased with increasing of metal ion concentration in the solution. Compared with the BAM:Eu²⁺ phosphor prepared by citrate-gel method, spherical BAM:Eu²⁺ phosphor particles showed a higher emission intensity.     

Synthesis, vacuum ultraviolet and near ultraviolet-excited luminescent properties of GdCaAl3O7: RE (RE=Eu, Tb)

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) excitation and photoluminescent (PL) properties of Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ion-doped aluminate phosphors, GdCaAl₃O₇:Eu³⁺ and GdCaAl₃O₇:Tb³⁺ have been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that the phosphor GdCaAl₃O₇ forms without impurity phase at 900 °C. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images show that the particle size of the phosphor is less than 3 μm. Upon excitation with VUV irradiation, the phosphors show a strong emission at around 619 nm corresponding to the forced electric dipole ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transition of Eu³⁺, and at around 545 nm corresponding to the ⁵D₄→⁷F₅ transition of Tb³⁺. The results reveal that both GdCaAl₃O₇:RE³⁺ (RE=Eu, Tb) are potential candidates as red and green phosphors, respectively, for use in plasma display panel (PDP).     

The Fluorescent Properties of Heteroligand Europium Cinnamates

Heteroligand europium cinnamates with nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing neutral ligands were studied by luminescent and X-ray electron spectroscopy. A tendency toward an increase in the electron density on Eu³⁺ was observed when neutral ligands were coordinated by donor nitrogen atoms. The Δν₀, ΔF ₁, and I(F ₀)/I(F ₂) values monotonically decreased as the donor properties of neutral ligands increased because of strengthening of the interaction of Eu³⁺ with the ligands.