Redistribution of Activator Tuning of Photoluminescence
by Isovalent and Aliovalent Cation Substitutions in Whitlockite Phosphors
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Abstract
Many
strategies, including double substitution, addition of charge
compensation, cation-size-mismatch and neighboring-cation substitution,
have contributed to tuning photoluminescence of phosphors for white
light-emitting diodes. These strategies generally involve modification
of a certain special site where the activator occupies; tuning strategy
based on multiple cation sites is very rare and desirable. Here we
report that isovalent (Sr<sup>2+</sup>) and aliovalent (Gd<sup>3+</sup>) substitutions for Ca<sup>2+</sup> tune the photoluminescence from
one band to multiple bands in whitlockite β-Ca<sub>3–<i>x</i></sub>Sr<sub><i>x</i></sub>(PO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>:Eu<sup>2+</sup> and β-Ca<sub>3–3<i>y</i>/7</sub>Gd<sub>2<i>y</i>/7</sub>(PO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>:Eu<sup>2+</sup> phosphors. The saltatory variation of the emission
spectra is caused by the removal of Eu<sup>2+</sup> from the site
M(4) to other sites. Moreover, we found the mechanisms of dopant redistribution
tuning the luminescence are different. The incorporation of Gd<sup>3+</sup> makes the site M(4) empty according to the scheme 3Ca<sup>2+</sup> = 2Gd<sup>3+</sup> + □, while Sr<sup>2+</sup> substitution
causes the cation sites to be enlarged due to cation size mismatch.
Additionally, the influence of the cation substitutions on the photoluminescence
thermal stability of phosphors is researched. The strategies, emptying
and enlarging sites, developed herein are expected to provide a general
route for tuning luminescence of phosphors with multiple sites in
the future