| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1644616 | Materials Letters | 2014 | 4 Pages |
•ZnO nanoparticles doped with Yb3+ ions were prepared by sol–gel.•(101) ZnO diffraction peak shifted to lower diffraction angles due to Yb3+ ions.•Addition of Yb3+ ions enhanced the ZnO exciton emission peak.•ZnO defects emission peak was severely reduced in the presence of Yb3+ ions.•XPS analysis confirmed the presence of Zn2+ and Yb3+ oxidation states in ZnO.
In this work, the sol–gel method was used to prepare Ytterbium (Yb3+) doped ZnO nano-phosphors with different concentrations of Yb3+ ions. Their structural, morphological, photoluminescence, electronic states and the chemical composition analysis were investigated in detail. Both pure and Yb3+ doped ZnO were found to have hexagonal wurtzite structure with the particle size in the range of 4–7 nm in diameter. Addition of Yb3+ ions into the ZnO host lattice led to enhanced exciton emission from ZnO indicating energy transfer from Yb3+ ions to ZnO or a reduction of oxygen related defects.
Graphical abstractTEM image and EDS spectrum of Yb3+ doped ZnO, along with the comparison of the PL emission from un-doped and Yb3+ doped ZnO nanophosphors.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide
