Synthesis of Zn0.2Ca0.8TiO3:Pr3+ via electrochemical assembly on ZSM-5 and its luminescent properties

A composite ZSM-5@Zn0.2Ca0.8TiO3:Pr3+ with red long persistent emission was synthesized by the sol-aided electrophoretic deposition technique. The effects of different electrophoresis parameters on luminescence performance were analyzed. The photoluminescence and decay curves show that the sample obtained at a deposition voltage of 10 V and a deposition time of 60 min exhibited the optimal luminous property.The luminescence characteristics of the composite were evaluated by its fluorescence and thermoluminescence (TL) spectra. The fluorescence emission peak at 614 nm can be attributed to the 1D2 → 3H4 transition of Pr3+. A broad TL peak was observed in the temperature range 30-120 °C, indicating that the trap may have resulted from the combination of VO2, PrCa, and PrCa defects. The main peak was located at 68 °C, which is favorable for long persistent emission. The structure of the composite was characterized by XRD, TEM, and SEM. The results show that ZSM-5 still maintained a rectangular prismatic shape after the assembly, whereas the guest Zn0.2Ca0.8TiO3:Pr3+ particles with a size of 100 nm and an almost cubic shape were dispersed densely on the surface of ZSM-5.