Preparation, characterization and luminescent properties of spherical CaTiO3:Pr3+ phosphors by spray pyrolysis

In this paper, spherical Pr3+-doped CaTiO3 phosphor particles were fabricated through a two-step spray pyrolysis process, using citric acid and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as additives. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), photoluminescence (PL), cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy, and lifetime measurements were employed to characterize these samples. The results reveal that the as-prepared CaTiO3:Pr3+ phosphors are spherical with submicron particle size. The particles show a strong red emission corresponding to 1D2–3H4 (612 nm) of Pr3+ under the ultraviolet excitation (325 nm) and low voltage electron beams (1–5 kV). Furthermore, the morphology, PL and CL intensities of the CaTiO3:Pr3+ phosphors can be tuned by altering the concentration of PEG, annealing temperature, and acceleration voltage. These phosphors show potential applications in the field of field emission displays (FEDs).

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