Luminescence based on energy transfer in silica doped with lanthanide titania (Gd2Ti2O7:Ln3+) [Ln3+ = Eu3+ or Dy3+]

Gadolinium titanate doped with lanthanide metal ions (Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+ or Dy3+) and embedded in silica matrix is prepared by sol–gel process. TG/DSC, IR, Raman spectroscopy and TEM have been used to investigate thermal, structural and optical properties of xerogels annealed at 1100 °C. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed the characteristic emission bands of Eu3+ and Dy3+ in the host matrix. A significant increase in the PL lifetime is observed in the silica nanocomposite matrix relative to the pure europium-doped gadolinium titanate nanoparticles at the same dopant concentration. The effects of lanthanide metal ion concentration and thermal treatment on the luminescence properties of Ln3+ ion are investigated.