Pechini-type sol-gel synthesis and multicolor-tunable emission properties of GdY(MoO4)(3):RE3+ (RE = Eu, Dy, Sm, Tb) phosphors

GdY(MoO4)(3):RE3+ (RE = Eu, Dy, Sm, Tb) phosphor were synthesized via a Pechini-type sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra, and decay lifetimes etc were utilized to characterize the resulting samples. After annealed at 800 degrees C for 4 h in air, pure GdY(MoO4)(3) phase can form. When the calcination temperature is further increased to 1100 degrees C, the crystallinity and luminescence intensity reach the best in our experiments. Under UV light and low-voltage electron beam excitation, the GdY(MoO4)(3):Eu3+, GdY(MoO4)(3):Dy3+, GdY(MoO4)(3):Sm3+ and GdY(MoO4)(3): Tb3+ phosphors exhibit the characteristic emission of Eu3+ (D-5(0)-F-7(2), red), Dy3+ (F-4(9/2)-H-6(13/2), yellow), Sm3+ ((4)G(5/2)-H-6(7/2), orange) and Tb3+ (D-5(4)-F-7(5), green) with a high color purity, respectively. The Eu3+ and Tb3+ co-doping phosphors are capable of showing color-tunable emissions in the visible region under single-wavelength excitation. The luminescence mechanism and concentration quenching effect were discussed in detail. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.