Effect of Al3+ on the photoluminescence properties of Ce3+-doped Zn3(BO3)2 nanoparticles

Zn3(BO3)2 nanoparticles doped with Ce3+ and Al3+ have been prepared by co-precipitation method. The study on the XRD pattern and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) shows that the diffraction lines are in good agreement with monoclinic crystalline phase of Zn3(BO3)2. Ce3+-doped Zn3(BO3)2 nanoparticles show a broader emission band at 405 nm, which is attributed to the d-f transition 5d-4f1 of Ce3+. The effect of Al3+ on luminescence properties of Ce3+ has been studied. The results show that the fluorescence intensity of Ce3+ is enhanced greatly.