A complete solid solutions with monophasic zircon-type structure of vanadates of formula GdxBio.95-xVO4:0.05Eu3+ (x = 04).95) are synthesized by combined method of co-precipitation and hydrothermal synthesis. Their microstructures and morphologies are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electronic microscope, and the results show that each of all the samples has a monophasic zircon-type structure. The absorption spectrum of the prepared phosphor shows a blue-shift of the fundamental absorption band edge with increasing the gadolinium content. Under UV-light and visible-light excitation, all the prepared phosphors show the typical luminescence properties of Eu3+ in the zircon-type structure. The emission intensity of GdxBi0.95-xVO4:0.05Eu3+ (x = 0.55) is strongest in all samples under UV-light and visible-light excitations. Finally, the mechanisms of luminescence of Eu3+ in the GdxBi0.95-xVO4:0.05Eu3+ (x = 0-0.95) solid solutions are analyzed and discussed.
A series of K3Gd1-x-y(PO4)2:xCe^3+, yTb^3+ phosphors are synthesized by the solid-sate reaction method. X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence spectra are utilized to characterize the structures and luminescence properties of the as-synthesized phosphors. Co-doping of Ce^3+ enhances the emission intensity of Tb^3+ greatly through an efficient energy transfer process from Ce^3+ to Tb^3+. The energy transfer is confirmed by photoluminescence spectra and decay time curves analysis. The efficiency and mechanism of energy transfer are investigated carefully. Moreover, due to the non- concentration quenching property of K3Tb(PO4)2, the photoluminescence spectra of K3Tb1-x(PO4)2:xCe^3+ are studied and the results show that when x = 0.11 the strongest Tb^3+ green emission can be realized.
A novel red-emitting phosphor, CaYA1307: Eu^3+, Sm^3+, is synthesized by a combustion method at a low temperature (850 ℃), and the single phase of CaYA1307 is confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction measurements. The photoluminescence property results reveal that the red emission intensity of Eu^3+ is strongly dependent on the Sm^3+ concentration. Only the Eu^3+ luminescence is detected in the Eu^3+-Sm^3+ co-doped CaYA1307 phosphor with 393 nm excitation. However, under the characteristic excitation (402 nm) of Sm^3+, not only the Sm^3+ emission but also the Eu^3+ emission are observed. A possible mechanism of the energy transfer between Sm^3+ and Eu3+ is investigated in detail.
The up-conversion of Er3+/yb3+ co-doped transparent glass-ceramics 50SiO2-10A1F3-5TiO2-30BaF2-4LaF3-0.5ErF3-0.5YbF3 containing Ba2LaF7 nanocrystals under the changing of heat treatment temperature and time were investigated. The Ba2LaF7 nanocrystals precipitated from the glass matrix was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The structural investigation carried out by XRD and trans- mission electron microscopy (TEM) evidenced the formation of cubic Ba2LaF7 nanocrystals with crystal size of about 14 nm. Comparing with the samples before heat treatment, the high efficiency up-conversion emission of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped samples was observed in the glass-ceramics under 980 nm laser diode excitation. The increase in red emission intensity bands was stronger than the green bands when the crystal size increased. The mechanism for the up-conversion process in the glass-ceramics and the reasons for the increase of Er3+/yb3+ co-doped up-conversion intensity after heat treatment were discussed.