Enhanced luminescence of gadolinium niobates by Bi3+ doping for field emission displays

Blue emitting GdNbO4: Bi3+ powder phosphors for field emission displays were prepared by a solid state reaction. Both photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties of the materials were investigated. GdNbO4 itself shows only a very weak luminescence in the blue spectral region. By doping Bi3+ in GdNbO4, the luminescence intensity was improved greatly. The emission spectrum of the GdNbO4: Bi3+ consists of a broad band with maximum at 445 nm (lifetime = 0.74 mu s; CIE chromaticity coordinates: x = 0.1519 and y = 0. 1196) for both UV and low voltage (1-7 kV) cathode ray excitation. In GdNbO4:Bi3+ phosphors, the energy transfer from NbO43- to activator Bi3+ occurred.

Photoluminescence and electroluminescence properties of a samarium complex Sm(TTA)(3)phen

The photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) properties of a samarium complex Sm(TTA)(3)phen (TTA = 2-thenoyltri-fluoroacetonate, phen = 1, 10-phenanthroline) were investigated. The results show that Sm(TTA)3phen could be used as promising luminescent and electron transporting material in the electroluminescent devices. The difference between PL and EL spectra was noticed and discussed. Besides, it is noteworthy that the choice of the hole transporting layer (HTL) showed significant effect on the device performance, which was explained by the low-lying highest occupied molecular orbit (HOMO) level of Sm(TTA)3phen and the different hole injection barrier at the HTL/EML (emitting material layer) interface.

Synthesis, structure, photoluminescence, and electroluminescence properties of a new dysprosium complex

A new dysprosium complex Dy(PM)(3)(TP)(2) [where PM = 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-isobutyryl-5-pyrazolone and TP = triphenyl phosphine oxide] was synthesized, and its single-crystal structure was also studied. Its photophysical properties were studied by absorption spectra, emission spectra, fluorescence quantum efficiency, and decay time of the f-f transition of the Dy3+ ion. In addition, the antenna effect was introduced to discuss the energy transfer mechanism between the ligand and the central Dy3+ ion. Finally, a series of devices with various structures was fabricated to investigate the electroluminescence (EL) performances of Dy(PM)(3)(TP)(2). The best device with the structure ITO/CuPc 15 nm/Dy complex 70 nm/BCP 20 nm/AlQ 30 nm/LiF 1 nm/Al 100 nm exhibits a maximum brightness of 524 cd/m(2), a current efficiency of 0.73 cd/A, and a power efficiency of 0.16 lm/W, which means that a great improvement in the performances of the device was obtained as compared to the results reported in published literature. Being identical to the PL spectrum, the EL spectrum of the complex also shows characteristic emissions of the Dy3+ ion, which consist of a yellow band at 572 nm and a blue emission band at 480 nm corresponding to the F-4(9/2)-H-6(13/2) and F-4(9/2)-H-6(15/2) transition of the Dy3+ ion, respectively. Consequently, an appropriate tuning of the blue/yellow intensity ratio can be presumed to accomplish a white luminescent emission.

Improved optical photoluminescence by charge compensation in the phosphor system CaMoO4: Eu3+

It has been found that charge compensated CaMoO4:Eu3+ phosphors show greatly enhanced red emission under 393 and 467 nm-excitation, compared with CaMoO4:Eu3+ without charge compensation. Two approaches to charge compensation, (a) 2Ca(2+) -> EU3+ + M+, where M+ is a monovalent cation like Li+, Na+ and K+ acting as a charge compensator; (b) 3Ca(2+) -> 2EU(3+) + vacancy, are investigated. The influence of sintering temperature and Eu3+ concentration on the luminescent property of phosphor samples is also discussed.

Facile synthesis and photoluminescence of europium ion doped LaF3 nanodisks

LaF3 : Eu3+ (5.0 mol-% EU3+) nanodisks with perfect crystallinity were successfully synthesized by a simple method. The synthesis was carried out in an aqueous solution at room temperature without the use of templates or organic additives, The mechanism of formation of the nanodisks was explored, and the fluoride source (KBF4) is believed to play a key role in controlling the morphology of the final product. Furthermore, the size of the disk can be simply moderated by varying the concentration of the initial reactants. The room-temperature photoluminescence of LaF3 : Eu3+ with different morphologies and sizes were also investigated, and the results indicate that the emission intensity of the product is strongly affected by their size, shape, and other factors.

Novel heteroleptic Cu-I complexes with tunable emission color for efficient phosphorescent light-emitting diodes

A series of orange-red to red phosphorescent heteroleptic Cu-I complexes (the first ligand: 2,2 '-biquinoline (bq), 4,4 '-diphenyl2,2 '-biquinoline (dpbq) or 3,3 '-methylen-4,4 '-diphenyl-2,2 '-biquinoline (mdpbq); the second ligand: triphenylphosphine or bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]ether (DPEphos)) have been synthesized and fully characterized. With highly rigid bulky biquinoline-type ligands, complexes [Cu(mdpbq)(PPh3)(2)](BF4) and [Cu(mdpbq)(DPEphos)](BF4) emit efficiently in 20 wt % PMMA films with photoluminescence quantum yield of 0.56 and 0.43 and emission maximum of 606 nm and 617 nm, respectively. By doping these complexes in poly(vinyl carbazole) (PVK) or N-(4-(carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)-3,6-bis(carbazol-9-yl) carbazole (TCCz), phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were fabricated with various device structures. The complex [Cu(mdpbq)(DPEphos)](BF4) exhibits the best device performance. With the device structure of ITO/PEDOT/ TCCz:[Cu(mdpbq)(DPEphos)](BF4) (15 wt %)/TPBI/LiF/Al (III), a current efficiency up to 6.4 cd A(-1) with the Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.61, 0.39) has been realized. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of efficient mononuclear Cu complexes with red emission.

Synthesis and photoluminescence of the Y2O3 : Eu3+ phosphor nanowires in AAO template

The monodisperse array and nanowires Of Y2O3:Eu3+ phosphor were synthesized using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template by sol-gel method. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicated that Y2O3:Eu3+ nanowires are parallelly arranged, all of which are in uniform diameter of about 50 nm. The high-magnification SEM image showed that each nanowire is composed of a lot of agglutinating particles. The patterns of selected-area electron diffraction confirmed that Y2O3:EU3+ nanowires mainly consist of polycrystalline materials. Excitation and emission spectra Of Y2O3:E U3+/AAO composite films were measured. The characteristic red emission peak of EU3+ ion attributed to D-5(0)-->F-7(2) transition in Y2O3:EU3+/AAO nanowires broadened its halfwidth.

Formation and photoluminescence of silver nanoparticles stabilized by a two-armed polymer with a crown ether core

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by the use of a two-armed polymer with a crown ether core [poly(styrene)]-dibenzo-18-crown-6-[poly(styrene)] based on the flexibility of the polymer chains and the complex effect of crown ether with Ag+ and Ag. The size of silver nanoparticles could be tailored by controlling the initial concentrations of the polymer and Ag+, and the molecular weight of the polymer. The emission of silver nanoparticles was blue-shifted, and the intensity of the photoluminescence of silver nanoparticles stabilized by the polymer was significantly increased due to the complex effect between the crown ether embedded in the polymer and the silver nanoparticles.

Vaterite-type YBO3 : Eu3+ crystals: hydrothermal synthesis, morphology and photoluminescence properties

Vaterite-type YBO3:Eu3+ crystals with interesting flower and hedgehog fungus-like structures composed of nanosheets were obtained by controlled crystallization of Y2O3 and Eu2O3 in H3BO3 solutions under acidic hydrothermal (HT) conditions. Nanosheets of uniform thicknesses were formed by preferential crystal growth along the (100) crystallographic plane and specific three-dimensional structures were further developed through a homocentric growth mechanism. Optical emission measurements showed that the HT-grown nanosheet crystals exhibited a higher ratio of the emitted red-to-orange light ratio than crystals grown from solid-state reactions. The photoluminescence intensity and emission lifetimes were also studied as a function of the Eu3+ dopant concentration and the HT synthesis temperature. The effect of some additives: a chelating ligand, a surfactant and a polymer, on the YBO3:Eu3+ crystals morphology was also investigated.

White electrolumineseence from a single-polymer system with simultaneous two-color emission: Polyfluorene as the blue host and a 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole derivative as the orange dopant on the main chain

New single-polymer electroluminescent systems containing two individual emission species - polyfluorenes as a blue host and 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole derivative units as an orange dopant on the main chain - have been designed and synthesized. The resulting single polymers are found to have highly efficient white electroluminescence with simultaneous blue(lambda(max) = 421 nm/445 nm) and orange emission (lambda(max) = 564 nm)from the corresponding emitting species. The influence of the photoluminescence (PL) efficiencies of both the blue and orange species on the electroluminescence (EL) efficiencies of white polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on the single-polymer systems has been investigated. The introduction of the highly efficient 4,7-bis(4-(N-phenyl-N-(4-methylphenyl)amino)phenyl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole unit to the main chain of polyfluorene provides significant improvement in EL efficiency. For a single-layer device fabricated in air (indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonic acid/polymer/Ca/Al), pure-white electroluminescence with Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.35,0.32), maximum brightness of 12 300 cd m(-2), luminance efficiency of 7.30 cd A(-1), and power efficiency of 3.34 lm W-1 can be obtained.

Sol-gel synthesis and photoluminescence properties of spherical SiO2@LaPO4 : Ce3+/Tb3+ particles with a core-shell structure

LaPO4: Ce3+ and LaPO4: Ce3+, Tb3+ phosphor layers have been deposited successfully on monodispersed and spherical SiO2 particles of different sizes ( 300, 500, 900 and 1200 nm) through a sol - gel process, resulting in the formation of core - shell structured SiO2@ LaPO4: Ce3+/ Tb3+ particles. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microcopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and general and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as lifetimes were used to characterize the resulting SiO2@ LaPO4: Ce3+/ Tb3+ samples. The XRD results demonstrate that the LaPO4: Ce3+, Tb3+ layers begin to crystallize on the SiO2 templates after annealing at 700 degrees C, and the crystallinity increases on raising the annealing temperature. The obtained core - shell phosphors have perfectly spherical shape with a narrow size distribution, non-agglomeration, and a smooth surface. The doped rare-earth ions show their characteristic emission in the core - shell phosphors, i.e. Ce3+ 5d - 4f and Tb3+5D4 - F-7(J) (J = 6 - 3) transitions, respectively. The PL intensity of the Tb3+ increased on increasing the annealing temperature and the SiO2 core particle size.

Dy3+- and Eu3+-doped LaGaO3 nanocrystalline phosphors for field emission displays

Nanocyrstalline LaGaO3 and Dy3+- and Eu3+-doped LaGaO3 were prepared through a Pechini-type sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence spectra, and lifetimes were utilized to characterize the samples. XRD reveals that the samples begin to crystallize at 900 degrees C and pure LaGaO3 phase can be obtained at 1000 degrees C. FE-SEM images indicate that the Dy3+- and Eu3+-doped LaGaO3 samples are both composed of aggregated spherical particles with sizes ranging from 40 to 80 nm. Under the excitation of ultraviolet light and low voltage electron beams (1-5 kV), the undoped LaGaO3 sample shows a strong blue emission peaking at 433 nm, and the Dy3+- and Eu3+-doped LaGaO3 samples show their characteristic emissions of Dy3+ (F-4(9/2)-H-6(15/2) and F-4(9/2)-H-6(13/2) transitions) and Eu3+ (D-5(0,1,2)-F-7(1,2,3,4) transitions), respectively. The relevant luminescence mechanisms are discussed.

Monodisperse spherical core-shell structured SiO2-CaTiO3 : Pr3+ phosphors for field emission displays

Nanocrystalline CaTiO3:Pr3+ phosphor layers were coated on nonaggregated, monodisperse, and spherical SiO2 particles by the sol-gel method, resulting in the formation of core-shell structured SiO2-CaTiO3:Pr3+ particles. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence spectra, as well as lifetimes were utilized to characterize the core-shell structured SiO2-CaTiO3:Pr3+ phosphor particles. The obtained core-shell structured phosphors consist of well dispersed submicron spherical particles with a narrow size distribution. The thickness of the CaTiO3:Pr3+ shell could be easily controlled by changing the number of deposition cycles (about 70 nm for four deposition cycles). The core-shell SiO2-CaTiO3:Pr3+ particles show a strong red emission corresponding to D-1(2)-H-3(4) (612 nm) of Pr3+ under the excitation of ultraviolet (326 nm) and low voltage electron beams (1-5 kV). These particles may be used in field emission displays.

Fabrication and photoluminescence properties of core-shell structured spherical SiO2@Gd2Ti2O7 : Eu3+ phosphors

A sol-gel technique was used to prepare Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+-coated submicron silica spheres (SiO2@Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+). The resulted SiO2@Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+ core-shell particles were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectra (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectra, as well as kinetic decays. The XRD results demonstrate that the Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+ layers begin to crystallize on the SiO2 spheres after annealing at 800 degrees C and the crystallinity increases with raising the annealing temperature. The obtained core-shell phosphors have perfect spherical shape with narrow size distribution (average size similar to 620 nm), non-agglomeration, and smooth surface. The thickness of the Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+ shells on the SiO2 cores could be easily tailored by varying the number of deposition cycles (60 nm for four deposition cycles). Under the irradiation of 310 nm ultraviolet, the SiO2@GdTi2O7:Eu3+ samples show strong emission of Eu3+.

Sol-gel fabrication and photoluminescence properties of SiO2@Gd2O3 : Eu3+ core-shell particles

A uniform nanolayer of europium-doped Gd2O3 was coated on the surface of preformed submicron silica spheres by a Pechini sol-gel process. The resulted SiO2@Gd2O3:Eu3+ core-shell structured phosphors were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as kinetic decays. The XRD results show that the Gd2O3:Eu3+ layers start to crystallize on the SiO2 spheres after annealing at 400 degrees C and the crystallinity increases with raising the annealing temperature. The core-shell phosphors possess perfect spherical shape with narrow size distribution (average size: 640 nm) and non-agglomeration. The thickness of the Gd2O3:Eu3+ shells on the SiO2 cores can be adjusted by changing the deposition cycles (70 nm for three deposition cycles). Under short UV excitation, the obtained SiO2@Gd2O3:Eu3+ particles show a strong red emission with D-5(0)-F-7(2) (610 nm) of Eu3+ as the most prominent group.The PL intensity of Eu3+ increases with increasing the annealing temperature and the number of coating cycles.