Tb3+ and/or Sm3+ doped NaGd(MoO4)2 nanocrystalline transparent glass-ceramics: Preparation, tunable luminescence, and energy transfer

Abstract

Tb3+ and/or Sm3+ doped SiO2–B2O3–Na2O–ZnO–MoO3-Gd2O3 transparent glass-ceramics containing NaGd(MoO4)2 nanocrystals were successfully prepared by the melt-quenching method and subsequent heat treatment process. The optimal schedule to achieve heat treatment was crystallized at 650 °C for 5 h. The strongest green luminescence (545 nm: 5D4→7F5) was obtained under 376 nm excitation when the Tb2O3-doped amount was 0.3 mol%. A thorough investigation was conducted to explore the mechanism of energy transfer from Tb3+ ions to Sm3+ ions, which is caused by quadrupole-quadrupole interactions. Tb3+-Sm3+ co-doped SiO2–B2O3–Na2O–ZnO–MoO3-Gd2O3 glass-ceramics can achieve green, yellow, and red multi-color tunable luminescence as the amount of Sm2O3 doping changes, which indicates that it holds promising potential in applications such as ultraviolet-transformed white light-emitting diodes and various optical apparatus.