Eu and Cu co-substituted calcium vanadate - The crystal structure, luminescence and color

•New colored and luminescent europium- and copper-substituted whitlockite-type materials were synthesized.•The preferred positions of the Eu and Cu ions in the crystal lattice were determined.•Relationships between the crystal structure, Raman, UV-VIS spectra, and luminescence spectra were described.

Europium- and copper-doped calcium vanadates with the general formula Ca3-1.5x-yEuxCuy(VO4)2 (x = 0, 0.075; y = 0, 0.06 and 0.18) were synthesized by the solid state reaction. Synthesized materials were analyzed by the powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), UV-Vis, Raman, luminescence spectroscopy, and colorimetry. Unit cell dimensions of the obtained samples were analyzed by the Rietveld refinement of the PXRD data. The crystal symmetry corresponds to the R3c group. Europium-doped samples exhibited luminescent properties, typical for the majority of europium-containing inorganic compounds. Additional copper-doping partially suppressed the europium luminescence. The europium-and-copper-doped samples possess bright yellow colors. Thus, obtained materials are perspective for the application as inorganic yellow pigments.