| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1494212 | Optical Materials | 2014 | 6 Pages |
•The SiO2@SiO2:Eu3+ microspheres were synthesized in a seeded growth way.•The SiO2@SiO2:Eu3+ microspheres are monodisperse and uniform.•The spherical phosphors exhibit considerably strong PL of Eu3+ ions.
Monodisperse core–shell structured SiO2@SiO2:Eu3+ microspheres were synthesized in a seeded growth way. In that way, a thin shell of Eu3+-doped silica was grown on the prepared monodisperse silica colloids. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), thermal analysis (TGA-DSC) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The results reveal that the SiO2 spheres have been successfully coated by SiO2:Eu3+ phosphors and the obtained SiO2@SiO2:Eu3+ particles have perfect spherical shape with narrow size distribution. Additionally, the monodisperse SiO2@SiO2:Eu3+ microspheres exhibit considerably strong photoluminescence (PL) of Eu3+ under the excitation of 393 nm compared with the SiO2:Eu3+ samples with polydispersed or irregular shapes and sizes obtained by base-catalyzed Stöber method. Furthermore, the PL intensity increases with the increasing of Eu3+ concentration in SiO2 microspheres shell, and concentration quenching occurs when Eu3+ concentration exceeds 5.0 mol%.
Graphical abstractMonodisperse core–shell structured SiO2@SiO2:Eu3+ microspheres were synthesized in a seeded growth way. The obtained SiO2@SiO2:Eu3+ particles have perfect spherical shape with narrow size distribution. Remarkably, the monodisperse SiO2@SiO2:Eu3+ microspheres exhibit considerably strong photoluminescence (PL) of Eu3+ under the excitation of 393 nm compared with the SiO2:Eu3+ samples with polydispersed or irregular shapes and sizes obtained by base-catalyzed method under the same Eu3+ ions doping concentration.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (74 K)Download as PowerPoint slide
