Effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone on the morphology and spectral luminescence of Y3Al5O12:Ce+3

Results from investigating the effect of different molecular masses and amounts of polyvinylpirrolidone (PVP) on the structural-phase, morphological, and spectral luminescence properties of YAG:Ce powders produced using a colloid chemical approach to synthesis (co-precipitation from solutions of the respective salts followed by thermal treatment of xerogels in air) are presented. The optimum thermal treatment regimes for precursors synthesized in the presence of PVP and its concentration in precipitation solutions that facilitate the formation of weakly aggregated nanosized powders of well-crystallized garnet characterized by enhanced (by a factor of 1.5–2) luminescence relative to a standard sample (without PVP) are determined.