Properties of a novel Ba5Si8O21:Eu2+, Nd3+ phosphor: Bulk and 1D nanostructure with PVP synthesized by sol-gel and electrospinning

In this study, a sunlight-activated Ba5Si8O21:Eu2+, Nd3+ (BSEN) persistent luminescent particles were firstly synthesized by sol-gel method, and then combined with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) to fabricate one-dimensional functional fiber by electrospinning. XRD, photoluminescence, fluorescence microscope, SEM and TEM were used to investigate the crystal structure, the morphology, the luminescent properties and water resistance of BSEN particles and functional fibers. The results show that BSEN owns a monoclinic crystalline and can be effectively and repeatedly excited by both ultraviolet and sunlight. The BSEN particles were water-resistant and uniformly dispersed in the PVP fibers. Both BSEN particles and functional fibers possessed broad excitation spectra from 250 nm to 450 nm with maximum at 341 nm and exhibited a fluorescent and phosphorescent emission band from 365 nm to 650 nm with maximum at around 489 nm with long afterglow up to 240 min. The new functional fiber has potential to be used in flexible coating, textile and optical display.