Luminescent properties of Ba₂ZnSi₂O₇:Eu³⁺ phosphors prepared by sol-gel process

State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 43007, P.R. China

Corresponding author: xuelh@mail.hust.edu.cn

Received: 22 May 2009
Accepted: 27 July 2009
Published online: 2 October 2009

Abstract

A novel red phosphor Ba₂ZnSi₂O₇:Eu³⁺ has been synthesized by sol-gel method. The crystallinity, particle size, morphology, chemical composition and luminescent properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy-dispersion spectrum (EDS) and spectrofluorometer, respectively. The results of thermogravimetric (TG) and XRD indicated that the Ba₂ZnSi₂O₇:Eu³⁺ phosphors crystallized completely at 900 °C. The luminescent properties of phosphor showed red emission is obtained by exciting at 394 and 465 nm which are owing to the sharp ⁷F₀ ⁵L₆ and ⁷F₀ ⁵D₂ lines of Eu³⁺. Two strongest lines at 394 and 465 nm in excitation spectra of the phosphor match well with the two popular emissions from near-ultraviolet (UV) and blue GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs), so it could be used as red components for white LEDs.