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Structural and photoluminescence properties of Eu3+ activated ZnAl2O4 orange-red phosphor

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Abstract

Europium doped zinc aluminum oxide (Zn0.93Al2O4:Eu0.07) was successfully prepared by a combustion method at 550 °C, in which urea, glycine, urea–glycine, citric acid, carbohydrazide, tartaric acid, carbohydrazide–glycine, oxalic acid–glycine, and tetraformaltrisazine were used as a fuel (complexing reagents). The structural and morphological properties were measured and elemental analysis carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra were monitored by excitation spectra (λex. = 378 nm) and emission spectra (λem. = 614 nm), to assess various complexing reagents in which urea was found to be the most efficient for synthesizing ZnAl2O4:Eu3+orange-red phosphor. The discussed zinc aluminate (U-1) phosphor has a higher luminescence intensity at 614 nm. It is concluded, therefore, that the ZnAl2O4:Eu phosphor can be used widely in various solid-state lighting as an orange-red phosphor.

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Acknowledgements

This study is a part of the research work of the first author leading to PhD Degree. Authors are thankful to Dr. Harisingh Gour University Sagar (M.P.), India for providing experimental facilities available in its Sophisticated Instrumentation Centre.

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  1. Department of Physics, Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, MP, 470003, India

    Sanjay Kumar Pathak, Akshkumar Verma & Ashish Verma

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  1. Sanjay Kumar Pathak
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  2. Akshkumar Verma
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Correspondence to Sanjay Kumar Pathak.

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Pathak, S.K., Verma, A. & Verma, A. Structural and photoluminescence properties of Eu3+ activated ZnAl2O4 orange-red phosphor. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 31, 16137–16149 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-03715-x

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