Sol-gel Preparation and Luminescent Properties of Transparent Thin Films and Ceramics of ZrO₂:Ti³⁺

Abstract

We developed a sol-gel method for the preparation of luminescent materials (powders and films) based on zirconium dioxide doped with titanium. The films were prepared from organometallic compounds of zirconium and titanium. The film-forming solution was covered on the substrates by spin-coating method, then annealing at temperatures of 300–500 ℃. The powder was obtained by gelation of film-forming solution, dried at 120 ℃, then annealed at 1000 ℃ in air. The luminescence spectra of developed ZrO₂:Ti³⁺ sol-gel coatings have two broad band peaks with maxima at 490 nm and 670 nm (λ_exc = 325 nm). The powder luminescence spectrum features a broadband peak with a maximum at 510 nm with excitation at a wavelength of λ_exc = 325 nm. The bright white-blue broad band emission at the region 490–510 nm was assigned to the Ti³⁺ 3d¹(eg) → 3d¹(t_2g) transition.