Structural and luminescence characterization of silica coated Y2O3:Eu3+ nanopowders

Eu3+-doped Y2O3@SiO2 systems were synthesized using yttrium oxide and TEOS in order to produce glass ceramic nanoparticles. The glass ceramic phosphor system was prepared taking into account two methodologies: the first one (PS) using the crystallized ceramic added into the SiO2 sol, and the second one (SS) crystallizing the Y2O3:Eu3+ directly into the glass matrix. The Y2O3:Eu3+ pure system was also prepared as a reference. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses suggest the formation of Si–O–Y bonds in cubic Y2O3:Eu3+ inside a SiO2 matrix annealed after 700 °C heat treatment. PS and SS powders were composed of nanocrystals with an average size of ∼10 and ∼9 nm, respectively. No structural changes in the signal emitted were observed with the addition of silica shell.