Aluminate matrix doped with Tm3+/Tb3+/Eu3+ obtained by non-hydrolytic sol-gel route: White light emission

RGB represents the union of the colors red (R), green (G), and blue (B), the colors that are most often used in electronic displays. Several kinds of host can serve as phosphors, but the appropriate amount of dopant in tricolor white light with excitation at the same wavelength remains an issue. We used yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) as host for the lanthanides europium, terbium, and thulium. We prepared the YAG host by the non-hydrolytic sol-gel methodology and doped it with the same amount of lanthanide ions - 1% in relation to the amount of yttrium. We have already reported the characterization of this sample previously. Here, we aimed to investigate the emission spectrum of the sample in the red, green, and blue regions when excited at a certain wavelength. The x and y coordination chromaticity - x=0.32 and y=0.35 - presented values close to those of the white color (x=y=0.33). In conclusion, the YAG host doped with lanthanides and prepared by the sol-gel methodology will help prepare efficient phosphors for several applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.