Study on white-light emission and light-emitting mechanism of hydrothermally synthesized YVO4:1 mol.%Dy3+,x mol.%Eu3+ phosphor powders

White light-emitting YVO4:1 mol.%Dy3+,x mol.%Eu3+ phosphor powders with order morphology and well crystallization were hydrothermally synthesized at 180 degrees C. The microstructure, white-light emission, and light-emitting mechanism of the powders were carefully studied using X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectra. The excitation and emission spectra of the phosphor powders indicated the coexistence of efficient energy transfer from Eu3+ to Dy3+ and inefficient energy transfer from Dy3+ to Eu3+ besides the energy transfer from VO43- to Eu3+. Increasing the Eu3+ concentration initially enhanced and then weakened the luminescent intensity of Dy3+. The white-light emissions of YVO4:1 mol.%Dy3+,x mol.%Eu3+ phosphor powders were both related to the energy transfer between VO43- and Dy3+/Eu3+, as well as between Eu3+ and Dy3+. The inefficient energy transfer from Dy3+ to Eu3+ was first found.