Host-Sensitized and Tunable Luminescence of GdNbO4:Ln3+(Ln3+= Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+) Nanocrystalline Phosphors with Abundant Color.
Up to now, GdNbO4has always been regarded as an essentially inert material in the visible region with excitation of UV light and electron beams. Nevertheless, here we demonstrate a new recreating blue emission of GdNbO4nanocrystalline phosphors with a quantum efficiency of 41.6% and host sensitized luminescence in GdNbO4:Ln3+(Ln3+= Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+) nanocrystalline phosphors with abundant color in response to UV light and electron beams. The GdNbO4and GdNbO4:Ln3+(Ln3+= Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+) nanocrystalline phosphors were synthesized by a Pechini-type sol-gel process. With excitation of UV light and low-voltage electron beams, the obtained GdNbO4nanocrystalline phosphor presents a strong blue luminescence from 280 to 650 nm centered around 440 nm, and the GdNbO4:Ln3+nanocrystalline phosphors show both host emission and respective emission lines derived from the characterize f-f transitions of the doping Eu3+, Tb3+, and Tm3+ions. The luminescence color of GdNbO4:Ln3+nanocrystalline phosphors can be tuned from blue to green, red, blue-green, orange, pinkish, white, etc. by varying the doping species, concentration, and relative ratio of the codoping rare earth ions in GdNbO4host lattice. A single-phase white-light-emission has been realized in Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+triply doped GdNbO4nanocrystalline phosphors. The luminescence properties and mechanisms of GdNbO4and GdNbO4:Ln3+(Ln3+= Eu3+/Tb3+/Tm3+) are updated.
School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University , Nanchang 330063, P. R. China.
Xiaoming
X
Liu
School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University , Nanchang 330063, P. R. China.
Chen
C
Chen
School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University , Nanchang 330063, P. R. China.
Shuailong
S
Li
School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University , Nanchang 330063, P. R. China.
Yuhua
Y
Dai
School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University , Nanchang 330063, P. R. China.
Huiqin
H
Guo
School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University , Nanchang 330063, P. R. China.
Xinghua
X
Tang
School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University , Nanchang 330063, P. R. China.
Yu
Y
Xie
School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University , Nanchang 330063, P. R. China.
Liushui
L
Yan