Polymer-assisted sol–gel synthesis and characterization of Zn2SiO4:Eu3+ powders

The synthesis of nanophosphors for various applications and the improvement of their working parameters constitute one of the most topical problems of nowadays technology. Zinc-silicate has been extensively used as host material for phosphors in cathode ray tubes, and nowadays for phosphors in electroluminescent devices. In this work we present novel synthesis procedure for obtaining Zn2SiO4:Eu3+ powder, based on the combination of standard sol–gel and modified combustion method. Influence of preparation conditions on the structure and morphology are analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Luminescence properties of Eu3+ are investigated with fluorescence emission and lifetime measurements.