Low-temperature synthesis and luminescence properties of blue-emitting β-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphor using melamine as a self-propagating raw material

Abstract

Sialons are widely recognized for their rigid lattice structure, high visible light transmittance, and excellent thermal stability, making them suitable matrix materials for activators. In this paper, we successfully prepared β-sialon phosphors, β-Si6-zAlzOzN8-z:Eu2+ (β-SiAlON:Eu2+), using an organic precursor method at a low synthesis temperature for the first time. X-ray diffraction analysis and Rietveld refinement confirm the β-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphor possesses a hexagonal structure with a P63 space group. Under 320 nm excitation, β-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphor exhibits a blue emission band centered at 415 nm due to the 5d → 4 f electron transition of Eu2+, which differs significantly from other β-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphors with green emission. It is interesting that excessive Eu2+ activators make β-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphor possess a green emission band centered at 510 nm. Therefore, the light-emitting color of β-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphor shifts from the blue to the green with the increase of Eu2+ concentration. Furthermore, the activation energy of β-SiAlON:0.02Eu2+ sample is calculated to be about 0.2527 eV, which confirms β-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphor has good thermal stability. The article presents a low-temperature and cost-effective synthesis method for preparing sialons, as well as a novel blue β-SiAlON phosphor for solid-state lighting.