Effect of different catalysts and growth temperature on the photoluminescence properties of zinc silicate nanostructures grown via vapor-liquid-solid method

We explore the photoluminescence properties of zinc silicate (Zn₂SiO₄) nanostructures synthesized by vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mode of growth using three different catalysts (Sn, Ag, and Mn). Different catalysts significantly influence the growth rate which in turn has an impact on the structure and hence the photoluminescence of the prepared zinc silicate nanostructures. Zn₂SiO₄ has a wide bandgap of about 5.5 eV and in its pure form, it does not emit in visible region due to its inner shell electronic transitions between the 3d⁵ energy levels. However, the incorporation of different catalysts (Sn, Ag and Mn) at different growth temperatures into the Zn₂SiO₄ crystal growth kinetics provides wide visible spectral range of photoluminescence (PL) emissions. PL analysis shows broad multi-band spectrum in the visible region and distinct colors (red, yellow, green, blue, cyan and violet) are obtained depending on the crystalline structure of the prepared nanostructures. The allowed transitions due to the effect of different catalysts on zinc silicate lattice offer a huge cross-section of absorption that generates strong photoluminescence. The correlation between the structural and optical properties of the synthesized nanostructures is discussed in detail. The synthesized photoluminescent nanostructures have potential applications in solid-state lighting and display devices.