A single-phase full-color phosphor based on Ba3MgSi2O8 co-activated with Eu2+, Tb3+, and Mn2+

• Single-phase Ba3MgSi2O8 was prepared using sol–gel route with microwave heating and doped with the ions Eu2+, Tb3+, and Mn2+.
• Sol–gel route provides better phase purity than conventional methods.
• Full color emission (cool white) achieved and thermally robust emission observed.

We present a rapid and energy-efficient microwave-assisted approach to prepare a single-phase full-color phosphor based on Ba3MgSi2O8. The samples were prepared using a citric acid based sol–gel preparation pathway with a microwave-assisted heating step, which reduces the time required for the final heat treatment to less than 30 min. Thermogravimetric analysis was utilized to optimize the solution-based preparation prior to microwave heating. The structural properties of the obtained luminescent materials have been thoroughly investigated by means of X-ray powder diffraction and Rietveld analyses. To study the optical behavior, the excitation and emission spectra were recorded. Full-color emission is achieved using Eu2+ (blue), Tb3+ (green), and Mn2+ (red) as the activator ions. The thermally robust emission was investigated using temperature-dependent luminescence spectroscopy. The energy-transfer processes within the samples were studied using time-dependent spectroscopy, and the quantum yield of this true color phosphor as a function of the composition was determined.

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