Hydrothermal synthesis of cerium-doped Zn2SiO4 phosphor for futuristic lighting applications

Abstract

In this study, Zn2SiO4:Ce3+ phosphor with varying weight percentages of cerium (Ce) was synthesized by using the hydrothermal process. The effect of Ce ion incorporation on the nanostructures, morphology, and optical characteristics was investigated by X-ray Powder Diffraction (PXRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) using UV–Vis spectra, Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Commission Internationale de I'Elaairage (CIE)-1931 RGB color space diagrams and decay lifetime. According to PXRD measurements, Ce3+ ions were incorporated into the host material of Zn2SiO4, considerably altering their crystallinity. Due to strong crystallization, willemite crystal dispersion can be seen in FESEM images as rhombohedral-shaped crystals that successfully form closely packed grains, when the concentration of Ce3+ doping increased from 0 to 4 wt %, there was a noticeable reduction in the optical energy bandgap of the phosphor, which decreased from 5.01 to 3.22 eV. Photoluminescence spectra exhibited enhanced luminescent peak intensity at 591 nm emission, due to transitions of Ce3+ ions excited at 395 nm. Additionally, the luminescence intensity and decay lifetime of the Ce3+ ions in the Zn2SiO4 samples were determined using the tri-exponential fitting technique, and the average lifetime is 24.1 ns. This work provides valuable insight into the effect of doping element Ce3+ with various concentrations on the properties of luminescent Zn2SiO4, paving the way for its potential applications in advanced lighting technologies.