Combustion synthesis, structural characterization, thermo and photoluminescence studies of CdSiO3:Dy3+ nanophosphor

CdSiO3:Dy3+ (1-9 mol%) nanophosphors were prepared for the first time using the solution combustion method. The process of monoclinic phase formation was investigated by PXRD, TG-DTA and FTIR. The results show that the phase formation temperature of combustion-derived monoclinic CdSiO3 is found to be lower as compared to the powders prepared by solid-state and sol-gel methods. It was observed that the average crystallite size calculated by Debye-Scherrer's formula and Williamson-Hall (W-H) plot are well comparable and was found to be in the range of 35-70 nm. Scanning electron micrographs indicate that there exist circular microcrystalline particles. It is observed that the optical energy gap is widened with the increase of Dy3+ ion dopant. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra exhibit characteristic transitions of Dy3+ due to F-4(9/2) -> H-6(15/2) (blue) and F-4(9/2) -> H-6(13/2) (yellow) regions. The thermoluminescence (TL) glow curve of CdSiO3:Dy3+ nano powder exposed to UV irradiation exhibited one main peak centered at 170 degrees C. The intensity of the main peak increases up to the dose of 20 min then it decreases. The glow curves were analyzed by the glow peak shape method and the estimated trap parameters are discussed. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.