Luminescence based on energy transfer in silica doped with lanthanide titania (Gd2Ti2O7:Ln3+) [Ln3+ = Eu3+ or Dy3+]

Gadolinium titanate doped with lanthanide metal ions (Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+ or Dy3+) and embedded in silica matrix is prepared by sol-gel process. TG/DSC, IR, Raman spectroscopy and TEM have been used to investigate thermal, structural and optical properties of xerogels annealed at 1100 degrees C. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed the characteristic emission bands of Eu3+ and Dy3+ in the host matrix. A significant increase in the PL lifetime is observed in the silica nanocomposite matrix relative to the pure europium-doped gadolinium titanate nanoparticles at the same dopant concentration. The effects of lanthanide metal ion concentration and thermal treatment on the luminescence properties of Ln(3+) ion are investigated. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.