Synthesis and luminescence properties of Eu3+ -doped silicate nanomaterial

In this paper, we introduce a sol-gel process for preparing Y 2Si2O7:Eu3+ nanocrystals. The rare earth compounds were dispersed in the SiO2 colloids and the monodisperse nano-scale composite materials were prepared. The reactant mass fraction and heat treatment temperatures could affect the structures and emission spectrum properties of as-synthesized samples. The samples emit the strong red light upon excitation under the ultraviolet. The main peaks originate from 5D0−7F2 electric dipole transition of Eu3+. With regard to the samples treated at different temperatures, the emission spectra obtained under 266 nm excitation show different shapes of spectra lines and relative intensities, indicating that the Eu3+ ions have been located in different local environments.