Tunable full-color emitting borosilicate glasses via utilization of Ce3 + ions as multiple energy transfer contributors

•Ce3 + ions played a role as sensitizers in improving the luminescence of multi-activators.•Dual energy-transfer of Ce3 + → Tb3 + and Ce3 + → Mn2 + was systematically investigated.•Tunable full-color emitting was obtained in Ce3 +–Mn2 +–Tb3 + co-activated glasses.

A series of trichromatic/white-emitting 15CaO–55B2O3–30SiO2 glasses co-doped with Ce3 +/Tb3 +/Mn2 + were synthesized in air by a melt-quenching method. Ce3 + ions played a role as sensitizers in improving the photoluminescence performance of multi-activators. Dual energy transfer (ET) processes of Ce3 + → Tb3 + and Ce3 + → Mn2 + were observed in Ce3 +–Mn2 +–Tb3 + co-activated glasses. The hues of the fabricated glasses covered the regions from blue, green, to orange–red, and a wide-range-tunable warm white light emission was realized by tuning the ET proportion from excitation source to the co-activated Mn2 + and Tb3 + ions through utilizing Ce3 + ions as the multi-sensitizers. It indicates that these glasses are expected to be potential phosphor candidates for deep UV-pumped white-LED.