Nanosized strontium aluminate phosphors prepared via a reverse microemulsion route

Nanosized strontium aluminate phosphors co-activated by Eu2+ and Dy3+ were prepared via a novel reverse microemulsion process. This new synthesis technique lowered the synthesis temperature of SrAl2O4: Eu2+, Dy' phosphors to as low as 900 degrees C, and also reduced the particle size to the nanometer scale (around 40 nm). In the microemulsion process, the constituent cations were trapped by numerous nano-scaled micelles, leading to a shortening of the inter-diffusion length and enhancement of the precursor reactivity. The excitation intensity and emission peaks of nanosized SrAl2O4: Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors significantly increased with increasing heating temperatures. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.