Synthesis of Y2SiO5:Eu3+ nanoparticles from a hydrothermally prepared silica sol

In this paper, a novel route for the synthesis of Y2SiO5 (YSO) nanoparticles doped with Eu3+ ions, based on the use of a hydrothermally prepared silica sol as a chemical precursor and nanostructuring template, is presented. X-ray powder diffraction revealed crystallization of nanoparticles in an X1 monoclinic structural type (P21/c) with well pronounced diffraction peaks and without any sign of additional phases. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the particle diameter was around 40 nm and that the particles formed loose aggregates. The synthesized materials exhibited characteristic luminescence emission of the trivalent europium ion, with the strongest emission (5D0 → 7F2 transition) at 611.5 nm and a corresponding lifetime of 1.8 ms. Two site occupancy, as expected, were demonstrated.