Photoluminescence of a novel green emitting Bi2O3:Tb3+ nanophosphors for display, thermal sensor and visualisation of latent fingerprints

Green light Emitting Bi2O3:Tb3+ (1-11 mol%) nanophosphors (NPs) were synthesized by solution combustion method and its photoluminescence properties were studied for display devices. The average crystallite size was estimated and found to be in the range of 13-30 nm. The energy gap (E-g) was found to be in the range of 2.71-3.05 eV. Upon the excitation of NPs at 397 nm, the characteristic emission of the optimised phosphor at 543 nm was observed which corresponds to D-5(4) -> F-7(5) transition of Tb3+ ions. The quantum efficiency was calculated using J-O analysis and found to be (similar to)91%. The CIE and CCT values estimated for the optimised samples (5 mol%) and found to be(x = 0.2874, y = 0.4191)and 6956 K respectively indicates that, the synthesized NPs are suitable for green light emitting display devices. Decay time measurements of 5 mol% doped NPs with respect to different temperatures (25-400 degrees C) were conducted and found suitable for thermal sensor. Further, Bi2O3:Tb3+ (5 mol %) NPs was utilized for visualisation of latent fingerprints on different surfaces and found superior identification of ridge features and sensitivity under 254 nm illumination. Using Langmuir-Hinshelwood model and Acid Red-88, the photocatalytic activity results showed, Bi2O3:Tb3+ NPs were potential material for the development of efficient photocatalyst for environmental remediation.