The self-reduction ability of RE3+ in orthosilicate (RE = Eu, Tm, Yb, Sm): BaZnSiO4-based phosphors prepared in air and its luminescence

Nominal composition phosphors BaZnSiO4:RE (RE = Eu, Tm, Sm, Yb) were synthesized by the conventional solid-state method in air (oxidizing atmosphere, OA) and under 10%H-2/90%N-2 flow (reductive atmosphere, RA) conditions, respectively. Self-reduction phenomenon, which is a valence change from trivalent rare-earth ions (RE3+) to corresponding divalent state (RE2+) without reducing agent, were observed in the samples of EuiTm/Yb-doped BaZnSiO4 but have not observed in Sm-doped samples. Compared with RA condition, the ca. percent of the reductive concentration of Eu2+/Tm2+/Yb2+ in the phosphors BaZnSiO4 prepared in OA condition are 21%, 15% and 35%, respectively. It was found that both of BaZnSiO4:Eu and BaZnSiO4:Tm prepared in air show greatly broad band emission peak at 500 nm under the excitation of ultraviolet (UV), which indicated they are potential phosphors for UV-based LED. The factors which are related to self-reduction degree have been also discussed. The successful synthesis of BaZnSiO4:RE2+/3+ phosphors in air provides a new route to obtain other novel orthosilicate-based materials. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.