Improved luminescence behavior of YVO4:Eu3+ hollow microspheres by Ca2+ doping

• YVO4:Eu3+ hollow microspheres codoped with Ca2+ ion synthesized by sacrificial templates.
• The maximum emission intensity of codoped sample is 11 times higher when compared with YVO4:Eu3+ sample.
• The reason for the enhancement in PL intensity was studied.

The YVO4:Eu3+/Ca2+ hollow microspheres were prepared via a urea-based homogeneous precipitation method in the presence of colloidal melamine formaldehyde resin (MF) microspheres as templates without heat treatment. Photoluminescence characteristics of YVO4:Eu3+ hollow microspheres are studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements were carried out to characterize their structural and luminescent properties. When compared with those of YVO4:Eu3+ hollow microsphere, the emissions of codoped sample with Ca2+ are greatly enhanced. The intensity of charge transfer absorption at 312 nm and its red emission have been greatly increased by codoping the Ca2+ ion into the YVO4:Eu3+ lattice.