Optical and structural properties of Zn2SiO4:Mn2+ green phosphor nanoparticles obtained by a polymer-assisted sol–gel method

A novel procedure for Zn2SiO4:Mn2+ phosphor powder synthesis based on a combination of sol–gel and combustion methods is presented. The procedure utilizes Zn-nitrate, Mn-nitrate, tetraethylorthosilicate and polyethylene glycol to produce gel, which is then combusted in a microwave oven to form Zn2SiO4:Mn2+ powder and further annealed to crystallize in desired structure. The material has been investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, infrared and photoluminescence spectroscopy. These investigations showed well-crystallized powder particles exhibiting intense green light emission.