Broadening the Photoluminescence Excitation Spectral Bandwidth of YVO4:Eu3+ Nanoparticles via a Novel Core-Shell and Hybridization Approach.

Jianhua Huang,Guoping Du,Lu Tang,Nan Chen

doi:10.3390/ma12233830

Abstract

For many optoelectronic applications, it is desirable for the lanthanide-doped phosphors to have broad excitation spectrum. The excitation mechanism of the lanthanide-doped YVO4, a high quantum efficient lasing material, primarily originates from the energy transfer process from the host VO43− complexes to the lanthanide ions, which has an excitation spectral bandwidth range of 230–330 nm. For applications in silicon solar cells, such phosphors can convert ultraviolet light to visible light for more efficient power generation, but this spectral range is still not broad enough to cover the entire ultraviolet spectrum of solar light. In this work, a novel core-shell and inorganic–organic hybridization strategy has been employed to fabricate Eu3+-doped YVO4 nanoparticles to broaden their photoluminescence excitation spectral bandwidth to the range of 230–415 nm, covering the entire ultraviolet spectrum of solar light and enabling their potential applications in silicon solar cells.

Highlights

Lanthanide ion-doped YVO4 (YVO4 :Ln3+ ), such as YVO4 :Nd3+, has been widely used for fabricating lasers [1,2]
2010, were used to investigate the crystal structures and microstructures of the nanoparticles. Their luminescence excitation and emission spectra were recorded with a Hitachi F-4600 fluorescence spectrophotometer, and their chemical bonding information was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy
YVO4 shells were grown on annealed YVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticle cores, and they were

Summary

Introduction

Lanthanide ion-doped YVO4 (YVO4 :Ln3+ ), such as YVO4 :Nd3+ , has been widely used for fabricating lasers [1,2]. YVO4 :Ln3+ nanomaterials are excited by UV lights of solar irradiance, and down-convert them to visible or near infrared lights. A novel strategy was employed to remarkably broaden the excitation spectrum of YVO4 :Eu3+ nanoparticles through a dual–channel excitation approach, and the entire UV spectrum of the solar irradiance can be effectively covered. This was implemented by combining the two strong excitation channels, the efficient VO4 3− →Eu3+ energy transfer after annealing and the photoluminescence sensitization by organic ligand after forming an inorganic–organic hybrid nanoparticle [16,17]

Materials

Characterization

Microstructural

UV–Vis

In Figure the strongest excitation peaking atYVO about

Conclusions