Effect of Eu ion incorporation on the emission behavior of Y2O3 nanophosphors: A detailed study of structural and optical properties

In order to investigate the effect of doping concentration on the luminescence behavior of yttrium oxide (Y2O3) europium (Eu) doped nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation method. Incorporation of Eu ion in Y2O3 matrix is clearly reflected in structural and optical properties of the doped Y2O3 phosphor. Cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy proves the presence of strong Eu3+ emissions along with the presence of an additional weak band corresponding to electronic transitions 4f65d1 (7FJ) - 4f7 (8S7/2) of the Eu2+. The presence of Eu3+ and Eu2+ ions in Y2O3 nanoparticles have been additionally confirmed by XPS analysis. Luminescence band corresponding to Eu3+ ions appears in both CL and photoluminescence (PL) spectra, covering the orange-red emissions from 580 to 710 nm. Vibrational properties analyzed through Raman spectroscopy have revealed the evolution of different peaks associated with Eu emission in the doped Y2O3 nanocrystals.