Precursor thermal decomposition synthesis of Eu3+-doped Y3Al5O12 (YAG) and YAlO3 (YAP) nanophosphors and their optical properties

•YAG and YAP nanophosphors were synthesized by a thermal decomposition method.•The luminescence properties of YAP:Eu3+ and YAG:Eu3+ nanophosphors were investigated.•The crystal structures of hosts greatly influence the luminescence of Eu3+ ions.

Eu3+ ion-doped YAlO3 and Y3Al5O12 nanophosphors were synthesized by a precursor thermal decomposition method. The morphologies, crystal structures and phase purity of as-prepared phosphors were carefully investigated by SEM, XRD and FT-IR spectra. A systematic study of the fluorescence properties of Eu3+ ion-doped YAlO3 and Y3Al5O12 nanophosphors revealed that the fluorescence properties of these nanophosphors were strongly dependent on their crystal structures. The optimal doping concentrations of Eu3+ ions in the cubic Y3Al5O12 and perovskite YAlO3 nanosystems were all determined to be about 7.5 mol%.

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