Optical and structural properties of composites films based on Ce3+ -doped yttrium aluminium garnet nanoparticles embedded in polystyrene.

In the present work, attempts have been made to prepare scintillating nanoparticle composite films of Ce3+ -doped Y3 Al5 O12 (YAG:Ce) embedded in a polystyrene (PS) polymer. A YAG:Ce phosphor has been previously synthesized using the sol-gel method. YAG:Ce-PS composite films of 250 ± 30 µm thickness were prepared using a solvent casting procedure with different PS/solvent concentration and a different mass ratio between nanoparticles of YAG:Ce and PS. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the YAG:Ce powders were successfully prepared. Using thermogravimetric analyses and differential scanning calorimetry, we found that the glass transition temperature (Tg) and thermal degradation were shifted to higher temperatures for composite films relative to pure PS. Photoluminescence showed the yellow emission of the Ce3+ -doped YAG phosphors, which was attributed to the 5d→4f transition of Ce3+ ion and the intensity of the emissions changed with the mass ratio of the YAG:Ce nanoparticles incorporated in the polymer and with the concentration of the polymer solution.

Synthesis and luminescence spectroscopy study of a novel orange-red colour emissions phosphor based on Tb3+ ion-doped Na2 ZnP2 O7.

Here, we report the synthesis and study of new orange-red (OR) colour-emitting phosphors Na2 ZnP2 O7 :xTb3+ (x = 1, 1.25, 1.5, and 1.75 mol%) using a conventional solid-state reaction. The sample crystallographic structures and their room temperature photoluminescence properties were measured using X-ray powder diffraction, excitation and emission spectra, as well as emission decay curves. X-ray diffraction analysis showed an isostructural tetragonal structure for all the doped materials with no impurities. Several colour emissions corresponding to 5 D4 →7 F6 (blue), 5 D4 →7 F5 (green), 5 D4 →7 F4 (orange) and 5 D4 →7 F3,2,0 (red) intraconfigurational transitions were observed and investigated. These colours were dominated by the OR colours. 5 D4 energy level lifetime was independent of Tb3+ concentration. Various radiative and luminescence parameters, such as experimental branching ratio, radiative decay rate, and luminescence quantum efficiencies, were calculated and discussed. Chromaticity diagram calculations illustrated an orange emission for all the studied materials.

Structural, morphological and steady state photoluminescence spectroscopy studies of red Eu(3+)-doped Y2O3 nanophosphors prepared by the sol-gel method.

Europium trivalent (Eu(3+))-doped Y2O3 nanopowders of different concentrations (0.5, 2.5, 5 or 7 at.%) were synthesized by the sol-gel method, at different pH values (pH 2, 5 or 8) and annealing temperatures (600 °C, 800 °C or 1000 °C). The nanopowders samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and steady state photoluminescence spectroscopy. The effect of pH of solution and annealing temperatures on structural, morphological and photoluminescence properties of Eu(3+)-doped Y2O3 were studied and are discussed. It was found that the average crystallite size of the nanopowders increased with increasing pH and annealing temperature values. The Y2O3:Eu(3+) material presented different morphology and its evolution depended on the pH value and the annealing temperature. Activation energies at different pH values were determined and are discussed. Under ultraviolet (UV) light excitation, Y2O3:Eu(3+) showed narrow emission peaks corresponding to the (5)D0- (7) FJ (J = 0, 1, 2 and 3) transitions of the Eu(3+) ion, with the most intense red emission at 611 assigned to forced electric dipole (5)D0 → (7)F2. The emission intensity became more intense with increasing annealing temperature and pH values, related to the improvement of crystalline quality. For the 1000 °C annealing temperature, the emission intensity presented a maximum at pH 5 related to the uniform cubic-shaped particles. It was found that for lower annealing temperatures (small crystallite size) the CTB (charge transfer band) position presented a red shift.