Recent development in phosphors with different emitting colors via energy transfer

Utilizing energy transfer (ET) between the sensitizer and acceptor in phosphors is a good way to obtain tunable emission color. Therefore, many researchers have devoted their interest to design phosphors with different emission colors via their energy transfer properties. It is well known that Ce3+ and Bi3+ are good sensitizers, while Mn2+, Dy3+, Eu3+ and Sm3+ can be useful activators. Further, Eu2+ and Tb3+ can be both good sensitizers and activators. Therefore, herein we summarise many recent ET systems consisting of Eu2+-Mn2+/Tb3+, Eu2+-Tb3+-Mn2+/Eu3+/Sm3+, Ce3+-Mn2+/Tb3+/Dy3+/Eu2+, Ce3+-Tb3+-Mn2+/Eu3+/Sm3+, Bi3+-Eu3+/Sm3+ and Tb3+-Eu3+/Sm3+, which show tunable emission color from ultraviolet to blue and green, blue to green, yellow, orange and pink/red, cyan to green, orange and pink/red, and green to yellow/orange and red. Based on this summary, this review will be a good reference to benefit the design and investigation of phosphors potentially applied in FEDs and LEDs with ET.