Hydrothermal synthesis and luminescent properties of LnPO4:Tb (Ln = La, Gd) phosphors under VUV excitation

Tb doped LnPO4 (Ln = La, Gd) phosphors with monoclinic system were successfully prepared by mild hydrothermal reaction at 240 °C. The 543 nm emission of Tb3+ in GdPO4 is higher than in LaPO4. By comparison, it is found that the intensity of host absorption band of GdPO4:Tb is higher than that of LaPO4:Tb which is ascribed to the energy transfer efficiency between the PO43− molecule and Tb3+ is higher. The emission intensity of optimal composition of GdPO4:0.3Tb is comparable with that of commercial Zn2SiO4:0.04Mn phosphor. These results suggest that GdPO4:0.3Tb is a potential candidate for plasma display panels (PDPs) application.