Preparation and characterization of ZrO2:Eu3+ phosphors

Nanocrystalline ZrO2:Eu3+ powders with different phase were synthesized by surfactant-assisted hydrothermal process in basic media. The effects of OH- concentration and annealing temperature on the crystal phase and shape were explored using X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. With increasing OH- concentration, tetragonal phase was changed into monoclinic phase accompanied with the morphology transformation from spherical to lamellar, then to rod-like. It was observed that tetragonal ZrO2 was stabilized at high temperature as function of the doped Eu3+ ion. The photoluminescence characteristics originating from Eu3+-doping in the ZrO2 nanoparticles were also investigated. Experimental results reveal that the luminescence can be affected by both the annealing temperature and the crystal structure of the ZrO2 nanoparticles. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.