Effect of the vanadium concentration on structural and photoluminescence of YP1−xVxO4: 1 at. % Tb3+ nanophosphors

Simple sol-gel method was used to synthesize nanoscale yttrium phosphate-vanadates with general formula YP1−xVxO4: 1 at. % Tb3+ (x = 0-1.0). The nanopowder samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and room temperature steady and time resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. The structural analysis reveals that the volume, the crystallite size of the nanophosphors increases with increasing vanadium content and their morphologies, changes from spherical, for low vanadium content, to rods for high content. Blue and green PL emissions of Tb3+and (VO4)3− were observed in YP1−xVxO4 and investigated in details. In addition, the role of Inter-Valence Charge transfer IVCT band in the quenching process of Tb3+ emission in YP1−xVxO4 is highlighted.