Synthesis and properties of colloidal ternary ZnGa2O4:Eu nanocrystals

A nonhydrolytic hot solution synthesis technique was used to grow monodisperse ternary oxide nanocrystals of ZnGa₂O₄:Eu³⁺. The shape of ZnGa₂O₄:Eu³⁺ nanocrystals was a function of the type of precursor, and their size was controlled by changing the concentration ratio of Zn precursor to surfactant. The crystal structure of synthesized ZnGa₂O₄ nanocrystals was a cubic spinel with no detectable secondary phases. Photoluminescence of red-emitting ZnGa₂O₄:Eu³⁺ nanocrystals resulted in a high (⁵D₀-⁷F₂)/(⁵D₀-⁷F₁) intensity ratio, suggesting that the Eu³⁺ ions occupy tetrahedral Zn²⁺ sites or distorted octahedral Ga³⁺ sites with no inversion symmetry in ZnGa₂O₄ nanocrystals.