Near UV-pumped bluish-white emitting K(Ba,Sr,Ca)BP2O8:Eu2+ phosphors

• A bluish-white emitting phosphor was synthesized.
• K(Ba,Sr,Ca)BP2O8:Eu2+ exhibit a broad emission band.
• WLED is fabricated by mixing of KBaBP2O8:Eu2+ and CaAlSiN3:Eu2+.

A series of Eu2+-activated K(Ba,Sr,Ca)BP2O8 phosphors was synthesized and evaluated as a candidate for white light emitting diodes (WLEDs). The photoluminescence spectra of KBaBP2O8:Eu2+ exhibited a broad emission band from 400 to 650 nm under excitation at 380 nm. By partially substituting Ba by Sr or Ca, the emission peak was blue-shifted, giving a blue color. A warm WLED was fabricated using bluish-white-emitting KBaBP2O8:Eu2+ and red-emitting CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors pumped by a 380 nm near-UV chip, and the Ra value and reduced color temperature were found to be 91 and 5995 K, respectively. The results reveal that the mixture of KBaBP2O8:Eu2+ and CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors may have promising applications for near-UV WLEDs.