Full-color emission based ZnWO4 spherical nanoparticles through doping of rare earth ions

•We successfully prepared the ZnWO4-based luminescent spherical nanoparticles.•We realized the full-color emission based on just one host material of ZnWO4.•The PL intensity reached the maximum with the dopant concentration up to 5.0 mol%.

Blue-green emitting ZnWO4 spherical nanoparticles, diameter about 50–60 nm, are fabricated by hydrothermal synthesis. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet and visible (UV–vis) absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to investigate the morphology, structure and luminescent properties. ZnWO4 nanoparticles doped with Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions exhibit red and green emission respectively under the excitation of UV light, and the PL integral intensity reaches the maximum with the amount of Eu3+ and Tb3+ dopant concentration up to 5.0 mol%. It indicates that the full-color emission ranging from blue-green (non-doped) to green (Tb3+-doped) to red (Eu3+-doped) could be realized based on just one host material of ZnWO4.