Red long-lasting phosphorescence based on color conversion process

The principle of color conversion process was used to generate red long-lasting phosphorescence (LLP) using SrAl2O4:Eu, Dy (SAO) as primary light source and rhodamine B encapsulated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-R) as effective color conversion agent. The phosphorescence spectra of MCM-R/SAO hybrid samples show green peaks from 425 nm to 550 nm and red peaks from 550 nm to 700 nm, which can be attributed to the phosphorescence of SAO and the fluorescence of MCM-R, respectively. The phosphorescence color can be adjusted from green to red by changing the mass ratio of MCM-R/SAO. When the mass ratio of MCM-R/SAO increases from 0.05 to 1.5, a blue shift for the green peak and a red shift for the red peak of the phosphorescence spectra can be observed and the intensity of the red emission peak increase relatively towards the green one. The phosphorescence decay curves show that MCM-R and SAO have similar decay dynamics and the MCM-R can inherit the LLP properties of SAO. The phosphorescence decay spectra indicate that the MCM-R/SAO hybrid can retain constant and steady visual phosphorescence color. The red phosphorescence can be seen in the dark with naked eyes for more than 5 h. So, the red LLP can be successfully achieved based on the principle of color conversion process. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.