Single-phase white-emitting phosphors Ba3Ce(1-x-y)(PO4)3: xTb3+, yMn2+ and Ba3Ce(1-x-z)(PO4)3: xTb3+, zSm3+: structure, luminescence, energy transfer and thermal stability

A series of Ba3Ce(1-x-y)(PO4)(3): xTb(3+), yMn(2+) and Ba3Ce(1-x-z)(PO4)(3): xTb(3+), zSm(3+) phosphors were synthesized by a high temperature solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction, luminescence and decay curves were used to characterize the phosphors. All the synthesized phosphors crystallized in the cubic unit cell with I-43d space group. Energy can be transferred from Ce3+ to Tb3+/Mn2+/Sm3+ in Ba3Ce(1-x)(PO4)(3): xTb(3+), Ba3Ce(1-y)(PO4)(3): yMn(2+), and Ba3Ce(1-z)(PO4)(3): zSm(3+) phosphors. Furthermore, the color of these phosphors can turn from cyan to green, blue to red, and cyan to pale pink. When Ba3Ce(PO4)(3) was co-doped with Tb3+ and Mn2+/Sm3+, Tb3+ could also transfer part of its energy to Mn2+/Sm3+, and more importantly, a white emission can be achieved based on this energy transfer. The phosphors exhibited a good thermal stability, with correlated color temperatures of up to 3301 K, and a quantum efficiency as high as 51.2%. These results revealed that we managed to obtain good white emitting phosphors by co-doping Ba3Ce(PO4)(3) with Tb3+ and Mn2+/Sm3+.