Origin of the red luminescence in Sr_3Al_2O_6：Eu phosphor ——From the synergetic effects of Eu^2＋ and Eu^3

• Published in: 中国稀土学报：英文版 2017, Vol.35 (2), p.127-134
• Main Author: 陈雷 张昭 田云飞 费米 何良锐 张平娟 张文华
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1002-0721; 2509-4963

In order to uncover the real origin of red luminescence from Sr_3Al_2O_6：Eu and the physical mechanisms that were involved in the dynamical process of luminescence, variant amount of Eu and Dy activated Sr_3Al_2O_6 phosphors were synthesized with the solid-state reaction and the combustion-assisted solid-state reaction, respectively, using the fine graphite powder or the mixed H^2＋N_2gases as a reducing agent. The phase was examined with XRD analysis and the photoluminescence properties were characterized by a fluorescence spectrometer. Although the phosphors possessed the same Sr_3Al_2O_6 phase, different emission colors（red or green） were obtained, relying on synthesis conditions. The simultaneous existence of Eu^2＋ and Eu^3＋ was not only observed in the emission and excitation spectra, but also identified with the near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy（NEXAFS）.The mixed valence（higher than ＋2 and less than ＋3） of Eu may be related with the six different sites of Sr, whose effective valence ranged from ＋1.5058 to ＋2.2698, in the crystal lattice of Sr_3Al_2O_6 that could accommodate Eu. Moreover, the reduction of Eu^3＋ to forming Eu^2＋ depended on the amount of Eu^3＋ or Dy^3＋ doped, due to the different energy barrier in each site of Sr that Eu had to overcome. The residual Eu^3＋, similar to the doped Dy^3＋, played an important role in supplying the hole for Eu^2＋ to form a bound trap（Eu^2＋）＊ after excitation. During electron returning to the 4f~7 ground state of Eu^2＋, the red luminescence was radiated. Therefore, the synergetic effects of Eu^2＋ and Eu^3＋（Dy^3＋） produce red luminescence.