Toward New Phosphors for Application in Illumination-Grade White pc-LEDs: The Nitridomagnesosilicates Ca[Mg3SiN4]:Ce3+, Sr[Mg3SiN4]:Eu2+, and Eu[Mg3SiN4]

The isotypic compounds M[Mg3SiN4] (M = Ca,Sr,Eu) have been synthesized by solid-state reactions in sealed tantalum ampules or in a radio-frequency furnace. The nitridomagnesosilicates crystallize in space group I4(1)/a (No. 88). Crystal structures were solved and refined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data (Z = 16, Ca[Mg3SiN4]:Ce3+, a = 11.424(2), c = 13.445(3) angstrom, R1 = 0.040, wR2 = 0.106; Sr[Mg3SiN4]:Eu2+, a = 11.495(2), c = 13.512(3) angstrom, R1 = 0.036, wR2 = 0.102; Eu[Mg3SiN4], a = 11.511(4), c = 13.552(4) angstrom, R1 = 0.016, wR2 = 0.039). The nitridomagnesosilicates are isotypic to Na[Li3SiO4], containing a condensed tetrahedra network with a high degree of condensation (i.e., atomic ratio (Mg,Si):N) kappa = 1. The crystal structures were confirmed by Rietveld refinement, lattice energy (MAPLE) calculations, and further investigated by Si-29-MAS NMR. Ce3+-doped samples of Ca[Mg3SiN4] show yellow emission (lambda(max) = 530 and 585 nm, fwhm similar to 3900 cm(-1) (similar to 130 nm)), while Sr[Mg3SiN4]:Eu2+ exhibits red luminescence (lambda(max) = 615 nm) with the most narrow red emission of Eu2+-phosphors reported in the literature so far (fwhm similar to 1170 cm(-1) (similar to 43 nm)). According to this outstanding narrow red emission, originating from parity allowed 4f(6)5d(1) -> 4f(7) transition in Eu2+, Sr[Mg3SiN4]:Eu2+ may point the way to the next generation red phosphor materials for application in illumination-grade white pc-LEDs.