As-prepared Phosphors Research Articles

Full-Visible-Spectrum White LEDs Enabled by a Blue-Light-Excitable Cyan Phosphor.

Efficient blue-light-excitable broadband cyan-emitting phosphors may yield full-visible-spectrum white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) with ultrahigh color rendering (Ra > 95). However, this requires closing the "cyan gap" in the 480-520 nm region of the visible spectrum, which is challenging. Herein, a well-performed cyan-emitting garnet phosphor Ca2LuAlGa2Si2O12:Ce3+ (CLAGSO:Ce3+) is reported. Under 430 nm excitation, the optimal CLAGSO:5%Ce3+ compound exhibits a broadband cyan emission (peak, 496 nm; bandwidth, 102 nm) with a high internal quantum efficiency of 85.6% and an excellent thermal resistance performance (69.1% at 423 K). Importantly, this as-prepared cyan-emitting phosphor provides sufficient cyan emission and enables filling the well-known so-called "cyan gap" between the blue LED chip and the commercial Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ (YAG:Ce3+) yellow phosphor. Impressively, a WLED device fabricated with the optimal CLAGSO:5%Ce3+ sample shows a low correlated color temperature (4053 K) and an ultrahigh color rendering index (Ra = 96.6), as well as an excellent luminous efficacy (74.09 lm W-1). These results highlight the importance of blue-excited broadband cyan-emitting phosphors in closing the cyan gap and enabling human-centric full-visible-spectrum warm WLED devices for high-quality solid-state lighting.

Combustion synthesis and photoluminescence of Ca2SrWO6:Dy3+ double perovskite: An approach for white light emission

Luminescent Ca2SrWO6:Dy3+ double perovskites are synthesized via the combustion route of material synthesis, wherein urea is taken as fuel. The as-prepared phosphor series comprehensively characterized for their structural and photoluminescence (PL) properties. The Rietveld refinement of XRD data revealed monoclinic crystallized microcrystals with mixed particles of the size of less than 1 µm, studied via SEM. Ca2SrWO6:Dy3+ displayed standard Dy3+ transitions 4F9/2–6H15/2 (blue emission) and 4F9/2–6H13/2 (yellow emission) collectively resulted in white light emission, confirmed via CIE study. Under 278 and 388 excitations, 2 mol% doping of Dy3+ found to be optimum concentration, beyond which concentration quenching is observed due to dipole–dipole interaction. The Y/B ratio ∼1 shows potential to produce white light and make phosphor suitable for WLED applications. The Ca2SrWO6:Dy3+ phosphor displayed notably high thermal stability with PL intensity persisted 77.6 % at LED burning temperature (150 °C) when compared to PL intensity attained at room-temperature, which is basically due to the rigid perovskite structure. In addition, the PL decay lifetime of 4F9/2 state was calculated by utilizing decay curves. Subsequently, the PL quantum efficiency and non-radiative relaxation rate are determined. The theoretical model of Auzel’s fit function is used to calculate to quantum efficiency and was found to be 93.27 % for Ca2SrWO6:2 % Dy3+ phosphor. Moreover, the photometric results reveals that the CIE points are lies in white region of CIE diagram with comparable CCT. The collective results indicated the utility of the phosphor for potential WLED applications.

Fe3+-doped broadband near-infrared phosphor with high quantum efficiency toward multifunctional pc-LEDs applications

A broadband near-infrared (NIR) luminescence that is comparable to chromium ions activated materials is fulfilled in Li3Sc2(PO4)3:Fe3+ phosphor, which is highly desired for environmental and biomedical applications due to the non-toxicity of Fe3+ ions. Structural and spectral analysis reveal that the broadband NIR emission peaked at 805 nm with a full width at half-maximum of 130 nm is derived from the non-selective two-site occupation of Fe3+ in the Sc3+ sites. A high internal/external quantum efficiency of 53 %/38.7 % is achieved via relaxing the selection rule for the forbidden 4T1(4G) → 6A1(6S) transitions of Fe3+ by larger lattice distortion. The influence of Fe3+ concentration and environment temperature on the broadband NIR luminescence properties of the as-prepared phosphors are also investigated. Finally, a NIR pc-LED prototype is fabricated and its electro-optical performance has guaranteed the applications in non-destructive detection and night vision. All the results have validated Li3Sc2(PO4)3 as a novel matrix system for access to highly efficient broadband NIR Fe3+-doping phosphor materials.

Local structure engineering of Ba1-xKxLa2Y2(SiO4)2O1-α: Eu2+ green phosphors for violet-light-excitable full-spectrum lighting

To achieve comfortable and healthy full-spectrum lighting, the development of efficient and stable violet-light-excitable phosphors is urgently required. Herein, we report a new type of green-emitting phosphor, Ba1-xKxLa2Y2(SiO4)2O1-α: Eu2+ (x=0–1). Interestingly, K+-alloying leads to continuous redshift of green emission from 500 nm to 517 nm accompanied with reduced full width at half maximum (FWHM) from 72 nm to 63 nm and enhanced excitation intensity in the violet spectral region. Rietveld refinements and spectral analysis evidence that K+-addition enhances the distortion of [M(Ⅰ)O9] and [M(Ⅱ)O7] (M(Ⅰ/Ⅱ) = Ba, La, Y, K) polyhedron and strengthens crystal field around Eu2+, which is responsible for the observed photoluminescence (PL) phenomenon. Finally, we design a full-spectrum white light emitting diode (WLED) with an ultra-high color rendering index (CRI, Ra) of 97.4 by coupling the as-prepared green-emitting phosphor (Ba0.7K0.3La2Y2(SiO4)2O1-α: Eu2+) and commercial blue/red phosphors with a violet LED chip, which demonstrates significant potential for application in healthy solid-state lighting.

Enhancement of upconversion luminescence and temperature sensing performance in Er3+/Yb3+ doped Lu2O3 and Lu2O2S phosphors by incorporation of lithium ions

A series of spherical Er3+/Yb3+ doped Lu2O3 and Lu2O2S phosphors co-doping with varying concentrations of Li+ (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 mol%) were synthesized by homogeneous precipitation method followed by direct calcination or sulfurization. The crystal structure and morphology of the as-prepared phosphors were characterized by XRD, FTIR and SEM. Meanwhile, the upconversion (UC) luminescence spectra were recorded under 980 nm laser excitation at temperatures ranging from 303 to 573 K. The incorporation of lithium ions led to an enhancement of UC luminescence intensity by about 15 times at room temperature. The introduction of Li+ could also affect the temperature sensitivity of the samples. Furthermore, optical temperature sensing of the phosphors was achieved by analyzing the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of thermally coupled levels (TCLs) and nonthermally coupled levels (non-TCLs). Impressively, utilizing the non-TCLs approach resulted in maximum Sa values of 8.80 %K−1 and 11.06 %K−1 for the Er3+/Yb3+/5 % Li+ doped Lu2O3 and Lu2O2S phosphors, leading to an approximately 17-fold and 23-fold increase compared to that of TCLs-based approach, respectively. The results of this work demonstrate the great potential of Er3+/Yb3+/Li+ doped Lu2O3 and Lu2O2S phosphors for optical thermometers.

Yellowish light emitting Dy3+ doped single phase – BaNb2O6 phosphors for solid state lighting applications

BaNb2O6:Dy3+ phosphors that emit cool light has been synthesized via traditional solid-state reaction technique. Developed samples show orthorhombic structure with space group C2221 according to X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld structural refinement. Observations made using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) show densely packed particles with irregular shapes in the micrometre range. Optical bandgap was also determined using Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS). When excited at 389 nm, the as-prepared phosphors show blue (481 nm) and yellow (577 nm) emissions, which correspond to the 4F9/2 → 6HJ (J = 15/2, 13/2) transitions of Dy3+ ions. A thorough investigation has been done on the energy transfer process between Dy3+ ions. The optimized phosphor's computed chromaticity coordinates for the Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) are x = 0.392 and y = 0.414. The values of CIE chromaticity coordinates and correlated colour temperature (CCT) of 3995 K endorse near cool light emission from the phosphor. Thermal stability and temperature dependent photoluminescence spectroscopy were studied for optimized phosphor which revealed that the phosphor can be a potential material for lighting applications at higher temperature. The study also reveals that BaNb2O6:Dy3+ phosphor could be a promising candidate for near ultra-violet (NUV) excited, yellowish LED applications.

Achieving zero-thermal quenching of Al2(WO4)3:Eu,Tb red phosphors with low thermal expansion for LEDs

Minimizing the emission loss with rising temperature is important to fundamental research and technological applications of phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-WLEDs). Red phosphor materials are crucial for improving the illumination and backlit display quality of pc-WLEDs. In this work, non-hygroscopic Al2(WO4)3:0.05Eu3+,0.05 Tb3+ (AWO:0.05Eu,0.05 Tb) red phosphors with low positive thermal expansion are successfully developed to simultaneously achieve zero thermal quenching (ZTQ) and a highly efficient red emitting. Under the optimal 397 nm NUV light excitation, AWO:0.05Eu,0.05 Tb exhibited a strong red emission at 618 nm with a high color purity (CP) of 99.71 % and a high internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of 80.24 %. Furthermore, a warm pc-WLED device with suitable color coordinates (0.347, 0.317), high color rendering index (CRI = 90.2) and low color correlated temperature (CCT = 4737 K) was fabricated based on the as-prepared red phosphor AWO:0.05Eu,0.05 Tb. The findings suggest that the proposed phosphor holds significant promise as a red component for high-power warm pc-WLEDs, which may open up new ways for the exploration of high-performance lanthanide-activated red phosphors towards versatile applications.

Thermally stable and highly efficient Ta-doped CsV1-xO3 green-light-emitting phosphors for WLED

Owing to their energy-saving and environmentally friendly characteristics, rare-earth-free ultraviolet-excited green-luminescent materials have garnered significant attention. To improve the luminescence efficiencies of green-luminescent materials, this study synthesized Ta-doped CsV1-xO3 green-light-emitting phosphors through a solid-state-reaction method, adopting an optimal Ta doping concentration of 10%. Theoretical calculations and reflection spectra revealed an intrinsic indirect band gap of 2.86 eV for CsV0.9Ta0.1O3, lower than that of CsVO3 (3.63 eV). Under 365 nm excitation, the as-prepared phosphors exhibited broadband emissions ranging from 400 nm to 700 nm, attributed to the 3T2→1A1 and 3T1→1A1 transitions within VO4 tetrahedra. Notably, adding Ta5+ ions to CsVO3 increased its emission intensity by 1.39 times and induced a redshift in its excitation spectrum from 369 to 375 nm. Furthermore, Ta5+ doping significantly distorted the VO4 tetrahedra and influenced the optical properties of the synthesized phosphors. Specifically, the nearest of Cs–V bond length increased, and weak interactions between V5+ ions and Cs + ions led to a 1.5-fold higher internal quantum efficiency (60.49%) of CsV0.9Ta0.1O3 compared to that of CsVO3. Furthermore, CsV0.9Ta0.1O3 demonstrated high thermal stability, retaining 75.57% of its initial intensity even at 140 °C. Overall, these results indicate the potential applicability of CsV0.9Ta0.1O3 as a green-emitting phosphor for white-light-emitting diode applications.

Site occupancy and tunable luminescence of Eu2+ and Eu3+ coactivated KCaY (PO4)2:Eu phosphors.

Utilizing the structure characteristic of KCaY (PO4)2 crystal, the site distribution of Eu2+ in KCaY (PO4)2:Eu phosphor coactivated with Eu2+ and Eu3+ ions is tuned. Upon 393-nm excitation, the as-prepared phosphor exhibits a broadband emission of Eu2+ peaked at ~ 475 nm and a typical red emission of Eu3+ with a strong 5D0-7F1 emission at ~ 591 nm. The luminescence color of the phosphor can be adjusted from blue to green, white, yellow, and red. The increasing concentration of Sr2+ and Eu2+ results in a blue shifting of Eu2+ emission. The increasing concentration of Eu3+ results in a red shifting of Eu2+ emission and an enhanced red emission of Eu3+. The luminescence behaviors of the phosphors are analyzed in terms of the site distribution of Eu2+ and Eu3+. A single-phase white light emitting was achieved in KCaY (PO4)2:Eu phosphor upon UV and NUV light excitation, indicating that the phosphor has potential application in white lighting.

Temperature sensing materials based on the fluorescence intensity ratio in Li2Ba5W3O15:Dy3+ phosphors

One of the interesting uses of phosphors is the development of non-contact thermometers apart from their usage as visible photonic devices. A series of Dy3+-doped Li2Ba5W3O15 (LBW) phosphors were successfully synthesized using high temperature solid-state reaction process. The crystal structure and morphology of LBW:xDy3+ phosphors were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rietveld refinements and field effect scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis. The XRD and photoluminescence (PL) analyses validated the effective substitution of Ba2+ ions with Dy3+ ions. Two prominent emission peaks were found at 493 and 583 nm corresponding to 4F9/2→6H15/2 and 4F9/2→6H13/2 transitions respectively under 368 nm excitation wavelength. A comprehensive analysis has been carried out on the usage of the Dy3+ doped LBW phosphors in fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) thermometry. The optical temperature measurement performance of the LBW:xDy3+ phosphor was achieved by utilizing distinct thermal quenching transitions, specifically on 4F9/2→6H15/2,13/2, at temperatures ranging from 293 to 443 K. The as-prepared phosphors demonstrate excellent performance as optical thermometers, with a maximum relative sensitivity (Sr) of 0.7% K−1 at 293 K, an absolute sensitivity (Sa) of 4.68 K−1 at 443 K and a temperature resolution of ∼0.51 at 443 K. These values indicate that the phosphors are highly responsive to changes in temperature, making them suitable for non-contact thermometry applications.

Novel green/red oxyfluoride phosphors with excellent optical properties for near-UV excited white light emitting diode

Novel eye-sensitive Ba3Nb2O2F12(H2O)2:Tb3+ green and Ba3Nb2O2F12(H2O)2:Mn4+ red oxyfluoride phosphors with extremely strong absorption in the UV region were designed and synthesized by simple co-precipitation strategy. Particularly, Tb3+ ions were doped in this matrix for the first time, which greatly improves their absorption efficiency in the near ultraviolet region (367 nm) and emits sharp green light (544 nm). In addition, the Ba3Nb2O2F12(H2O)2:Mn4+ red phosphors have strong zero phonon line (ZPL) emission at 625 nm, which is conducive to improving the sensitivity of human eye and color purity. Meanwhile, the optical properties of the red phosphor are significantly enhanced via doping K+ cations as charge compensators. Crystal field environment and nephelauxetic effect of the as-prepared phosphors before and after K+ cation doping were systematically analyzed. Moreover, these synthesized red/green phosphors have good thermal stability and moisture resistance. Remarkably, the as-prepared Ba3Nb2O2F12(H2O)2:5%Mn4+ or K0.9Ba2.1Nb2O2F12(H2O)2:5%Mn4+ red phosphors can be directly mixed with the as-synthesized Ba3Nb2O2F12(H2O)2:13%Tb3+ green phosphor coating on 365 nm near-ultraviolet LED chip to package WLED devices with excellent electroluminescence performance. These findings are conducive to opening an avenue for screening the unique structure of optical materials.

Photoluminescence property, energy transfer mechanism, and optical thermometric behavior of bismuth-europium codoped disordered melilite-type phosphor

In the pursuit of optical thermometers, the fluorescence intensity ratio technique has aroused much interest because of the urgent need for noncontact thermometers driven by technological development. Here, an optical thermometer BaLaGa3O7:Bi3+,Eu3+ based on different thermal responses of Eu3+ and Bi3+ emissions had been reported. The structure, morphology, luminescence properties, and optical thermometric behavior were investigated by experimental data comprising X-ray diffraction patterns, microscopy, and luminescence spectroscopy. The dopants with eight oxygen ligands in the melilite-type host form emission centers. The Bi3+ singly doped, and Eu3+ singly doped phosphors can have intense blue and red emissions due to the 3P1-1S0 and 5D0-7FJ(0−4) electron transitions, respectively. In the Bi3+-Eu3+ codoped phosphors, tunable emission colors were obtained owing to Bi3+→Eu3+ energy transfer and doping concentration variation. Moreover, the intensity ratio of Bi3+ and Eu3+ emissions varied with the temperature in the range of 298 − 523 K. The relative and absolute sensitivities of the as-prepared phosphor were determined to be 0.29%K−1 and 0.20%K−1, respectively, manifesting that the prepared BaLaGa3O7:Bi3+,Eu3+ has the potential to serve as phosphors for optical thermometers.

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of high color purity red emitting Li2MgTi3O8:Eu3+ phosphors for warm W-LEDs

In search of efficient and suitable phosphors for white light emitting diodes (w -LEDs), herein, we report Li2MgTi3O8:Eu3+ as red phosphors that are low-cost eco-materials synthesized by solid-state reaction method. XRD patterns confirm the crystallinity and phase purity of the as-prepared phosphors with the successful incorporation of Eu3+ ions. FTIR, FE-SEM and TEM were used to understand the functional groups and morphology of prepared samples respectively. The band gap energy calculated from DRS showed Burstein–Moss effect. Under 398 nm excitation, intense red emission was recorded at 615 nm and lifetime values were in microsecond range. The prepared phosphor possesses quantum efficiency of 31.74%, good thermal stability with an activation energy of 0.254 eV and exhibit warm red emission with 100% color purity. Therefore, the obtained results suggests that the prepared Li2MgTi3O8:Eu3+ phosphors can be considered as an appropriate candidate for the red component in w- LEDs.

Comprehension of the photoinduced charge transfer assisted energy transfer in Gd3+-based host sensitized tellurate phosphors for thermal sensing and anticounterfeiting labels.

A series of novel Eu3+-activated Ba2Gd2/3TeO6 (BGT) phosphors were successfully synthesised via a high temperature solid state reaction method. The crystal structure analysis showed that Eu3+-doped Ba2Gd2/3TeO6 double perovskite phosphors possess monoclinic symmetry with space group P21/n. The as-prepared phosphors can be efficiently excited by far-ultraviolet light to generate reddish orange luminescence of around 593 nm corresponding to the 5D0 → 7F1 transitions of Eu3+ ions. Gd3+ acts as a sensitizer for luminescence enhancement. The highest luminescence intensity corresponded to x = 0.11 Eu3+ concentration, and the critical distance was calculated to be 9.61 Å, indicating that multipolar interaction is behind the concentration quenching mechanism. Besides, the optimum concentration Eu3+-activated Ba2Gd2/3TeO6 phosphor exhibited color co-ordinates of (0.63, 0.36), a high color purity of 94.21% and a quantum efficiency of 18%. JO intensity parameters reveal the slight distortion of the crystal field around the activator ion. Notably, the maximum relative sensitivities of the BGT:0.11Eu3+ phosphor were found to be 0.19% K-1 within the temperature range of 300-500 K and 2.07% K-1 within 80-300 K, and it can potentially be used as a promising thermometer in high and low temperature regions, respectively. The luminescent labels based on fluorescent ink and PL chalk demonstrate the potential application of synthesized phosphors in anti-counterfeiting and security labeling.

Structure modification and luminescence regulation in new violet light excitable Sr(2-y)BayY4La4(SiO4)6O2:xEu2+ phosphors via cation substitution.

Cyan-emitting phosphors are urgently needed to address the "cyan gap" in artificial full-spectrum lighting. In this research, a series of Sr(2-y)BayY4La4(SiO4)6O2:xEu2+ (0.005 ≤ x ≤ 0.08, 0.0 ≤ y ≤ 2.0) phosphors with tunable luminescence was synthesized. Through cation regulation, the luminescence color of Sr(2-y)BayY4La4(SiO4)6O2:xEu2+ can be adjusted from yellow to cyan. Crystal structure analysis revealed that Eu2+ ions simultaneously occupy [Sr1/Ba1Y1La1] and [Sr2/Ba2Y2La2] sites, resulting in multiple luminescence centers and a broadened emission spectrum. With increasing Ba2+ ion concentration, the PLE spectrum was red-shifted from 337 nm to 372 nm, and the excitation intensity in the violet region was significantly enhanced, making it more compatible with violet LED chips. Meanwhile, the PL spectrum was blue-shifted from 543 nm to 496 nm with increasing Ba2+ concentration, accompanied by an increase of about 10 times in the excitation and emission intensity. The optimized Ba2Y4La4(SiO4)6O2:0.02Eu2+ phosphor can be excited by violet light and emits bright cyan light effectively, which can be used to fill the "cyan gap". Eventually, a series of white LED devices was manufactured by combining the as-prepared luminescence-tunable phosphors with commercial phosphors. Among them, the 410 nm violet LED chip-based WLED(Ba2) device comprising Ba2Y4La4(SiO4)6O2:0.02Eu2+ exhibited the best electroluminescence performance, increasing the color rendering index from 82.0 to 98.6, verifying the compensation effect of the Ba2Y4La4(SiO4)6O2:Eu2+ phosphor on cyan light.

Thermally stable Cr3+-activated silicate phosphors for plant-growth LEDs and three-mode optical thermometry.

The structural, optical and temperature-dependent luminescence properties of Y2Mg2Al2Si2O12:Cr3+ phosphors were investigated for their multifunctional applications. The as-prepared phosphors exhibited an intense far-red emission band around 600-850 nm with a peak at 687 nm, which matches well with the absorption band of plant phytochromes. Importantly, the optimized sample showed excellent thermal stability and its emission intensity at 423 K maintained about 77% of that at 298 K. The potential application of the phosphors in plant-growth LED devices was also demonstrated. Furthermore, owing to the unique thermal quenching behavior of Cr3+, a three-mode luminescent thermometry system was designed based on fluorescent intensity (FL), fluorescent intensity ratio (FIR), and full width at half maximum (FWHM). The maximum temperature relative sensitivity (Sr) of each mode could reach 2.74% K-1, 1.09% K-1, and 1.47% K-1, respectively. These results indicate that the Y2Mg2Al2Si2O12:Cr3+ phosphors have potential applications for plant growth and optical thermometry.

Mn4+-doped rare-earth-free Mg4Nb2O9 phosphors for optical temperature sensing.

In this report, rare-earth-free Mg4Nb2O9:Mn4+ phosphors were obtained through a high-temperature solid-state reaction. This work aims to investigate the photoluminescence properties of Mg4Nb2O9:Mn4+ phosphors and the temperature sensitive performance of the optimized phosphor. The crystal structure and lattice parameters as well as the effects of the dopant ions on the host structure were investigated. It should be noted that the Mg4Nb2O9 crystal is in a trigonal system P3̄c1. The as-prepared phosphors exhibited good thermal sensitivity, and the relative sensitivity of the optimal Mg4Nb2O9:0.004Mn4+ phosphor was calculated to be 0.48% K-1, allowing it to activate optical temperature sensing applications.

Multi-Band Emission of Pr3+-Doped Ca3Al2O6 and the Effects of Charge Compensator Ions on Luminescence Properties.

Multi-band emission luminescence materials are of great significance owing to their extensive application in diverse fields. In this research, we successfully prepared a series of Pr3+-doped Ca3Al2O6 multi-band emission phosphors via a high-temperature solid-state method. The phase structure, morphology, luminescence spectra and decay curves were investigated in detail. The Ca3Al2O6:Pr3+ phosphors can absorb blue lights and emit lights in the 450-750 nm region, and typical emission bands are located at 488 nm (blue), 525-550 nm (green), 611-614 nm (red), 648 nm (red) and 733 nm (deep red). The influence of the Pr3+ doping concentration was discussed, and the optimal Pr3+ doping concentration was determined. The impacts of charge compensator ions (Li+, Na+, and K+) on the luminescence of Pr3+ were also investigated, and it was found that all the charge compensator ions contributed positively to the emission intensity. More importantly, the emission intensity of the as-prepared phosphors at 423 K can still maintain 65-70% of that at room temperature, and the potential application for pc-LED was investigated. The interesting results indicate that the prepared phosphors may serve multifunctional and advanced applications.

Synthesis, optical characteristics and thermal stability of Mn4+-doped Na3GaF6 red-emitting phosphor for high-performance warm WLED

Nowadays, Mn4+-activated fluoride red phosphors with high color purity, strong zero phonon line emission and relatively short decay time are crucial for improving the optical performance of WLED and emerging applications. In this work, a series of red-emitting Mn4+-activated fluoride phosphors in consideration of the non-equivalent substitution of Mn4+ for Ga3+ in the Na3GaF6 host are synthesized via the coprecipitation method at room temperature. The use of different reaction solvents successfully regulates the morphology, size and luminescence intensity of the phosphor. Under blue light excitation, Na3GaF6:Mn4+ sample shows a bright narrow-band red emission with exceptional correlated color temperature (4029 K). Moreover, the emission of strong zero phonon line induces the outstanding color purity of red light (93%). In addition, the critical concentration of Mn4+ is determined to be 0.04 and the concentration quenching mechanism is also systematically discussed. Noticeably, when Na3GaF6:Mn4+ phosphor achieves maximum fluorescence emission, its fluorescence lifetime value is only 3.48 ms. Additionally, the theoretical calculated results demonstrate that Na3GaF6 host can provide strong crystal field strength for Mn4+, and the Racah parameters (B and C) and nephelauxetic ratio (β1) are used to evaluate the nephelauxetic effect of Mn4+, which is compared with other types of Mn4+-activated phosphors. The activation energy, chromaticity shift and chromaticity coordinate variation are systematically calculated to analyze the thermal stability of Na3GaF6:Mn4+ red phosphor. Meanwhile, by employing the as-prepared phosphor Na3GaF6:Mn4+ as a red component, a high-performance warm WLED shows a full spectrum emission, and the corresponding cold white light emission is also transformed into the warm white light emission (CCT = 4224 K, Ra = 89.1 and LE = 111.72 lm/W). Moreover, under high driving current, such WLED exhibits stable output light efficiency. These results suggest that Na3GaF6:Mn4+ as red phosphor has a stupendous potential for warm WLED in indoor lighting.

Realization of plant growth lighting and temperature detecting based on novel Bi3+, Sm3+ and Mn4+ doped Ca2GdNbO6 double perovskite phosphors

The Bi3+ or Sm3+ ions are introduced into Mn4+-activated Ca2GdNbO6 (CGN) double perovskite phosphors to achieve highly efficient plant growth lighting and temperature measurement. Here, the energy band and density of states for CGN are computed using density functional theory (DFT) in detail. The emission bands of CGN: Bi3+/Mn4+ consist of both the blue-light band (3P1→1S0 transition of Bi3+ ions) and red-light band (2E→4A2 transition of Mn4+ ions), which solves the issue of the lack of blue light in Mn4+-activated phosphors used in plant-growth LEDs. The electroluminescence emission spectrum of the LEDs assembled with CGN: Sm3+/Mn4+ shows a wide emission band (550–800 nm), which coincides perfectly with the absorption (550–825 nm) of Phytochrome (PR and PFR). Moreover, non-contact thermometers are designed by luminescence intensity ratio technique (LIRMn/Bi or LIRMn/Sm) with excellent absolute (Sa = 0.074 K-1@448 K or 0.036 K-1@373 K) and relative sensitivity (Sr = 2.13 %K−1@498 K or 1.11 %K−1@448 K). The results reveal that as-prepared phosphors have great potential in promoting indoor plant cultivate and optical temperature sensing.