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Synthesis of nanosized AlN:Eu2+ phosphors using a metal-organic precursor method

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 October 2014

Chao Cai ,
Luyuan Hao ,
Xin Xu  and
Simeon Agathopoulos
Chao Cai
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
Luyuan Hao
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
Xin Xu*
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
Simeon Agathopoulos
Affiliation:
Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Ioannina, GR-451 10 Ioannina, Greece
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: xuxin@ustc.edu.cn
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Abstract

Nanosized Eu2+-doped AlN phosphor was successfully synthesized by a metal-organic precursor method for the first time. Aluminum and europium chlorides were simultaneously reacted with triethylamine in acetonitrile media to yield solid precipitates, which were transformed into nanosized AlN:Eu2+ phosphor powders upon calcination in an ammonia gas atmosphere. The possible reaction mechanism was proposed, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. The direct formation of Al–N bonds through a coordination reaction in solution is a key factor in the formation of well-crystallized AlN:Eu2+ grains at a moderately low temperature (1200 °C), which significantly suppresses abnormal grain growth and favors the formation of nanocrystalline (∼15 nm) particles with a homogeneous particle size distribution. Due to the homogeneous distribution of a relative high amount of Eu incorporation (2 wt%), the nanophosphors were effectively excited by UV light and featured an intense green emission band with a peak at 506 nm.

Keywords

nitrideoptical propertiespowdernano
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 29 , Issue 20 , 28 October 2014 , pp. 2466 - 2472
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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