A new eulytite-type Pb3Bi(PO4)3:Eu3+ red-emitting phosphor: Synthesis, structure and photoluminescence characteristics

Abstract

Exploring new luminescent host is important for spectral regulation purpose in this field since photoluminescent characteristics of RE ions are highly sensitive to the doping host. Herein, a new eulytite-type Pb3Bi(PO4)3:Eu3+ phosphor was synthesized via high temperature solid state reaction, and structure, luminescence properties and thermal stability were studied. It is known from XRD that the phosphor has a body-centered cubic structure and belongs to the I4‾3d(220) space group. In this structure, one crystallographic site is mixed occupied by Pb and Bi atoms at the molar ratio of 3:1. In the effective excitation at 394 nm, all Pb3Bi(PO4)3:Eu3+ phosphors emitted bright red light and the color coordinates located at red region. Concentration quenching was not observed in the Eu3+ doping concentration within 10 mol%, and the fluorescence lifetime almost unchanged with the increase of doping concentration, indicating the host has a high quenching concentration. When the temperature is raised by 150 K, the emission intensity of the phosphor still retains 40% of the original intensity, and the activation energy Ea = 0.245 eV, indicating that the thermal stability of the phosphor is good. The above results demonstrated that the Pb3Bi(PO4)3:Eu3+ phosphors are very promising for use in blue and near-ultraviolet light excited w-LEDs.