PbMoO4:Eu3+ red phosphor material for potential applications in white light emitting diodes

Monophasic PbMoO4 possessing tetragonal symmetry with varied Eu3+ concentrations is synthesized by solid state reaction method. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning election microscope, energy dispersive spectra, excitation spectra, emission spectra and decay curves. Single cubic phase of PbMoO4 crystal is confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Analysis of the photoluminescence spectra indicates that the phosphor can be excited by UV light of 386 nm, thus emitting intense red light. The ratio of red emission (D-5(0) -> F-7(2)) to orange emission (D-5(0) -> F-7(1)) is very high in present phosphor. This may be due to a lower symmetry of crystal field around Eu3+ ions. The color coordinates are calculated for PbMoO4:Eu3+ phosphor located in International Commission on Illumination chromaticity diagram.