Luminescent characteristics of ZrO2:Pb nanopowders

ZrO2 nanopowders doped with Pb ions are prepared by the coprecipitation method. The average size of the powders, measured by X-ray diffraction, is 4–6 nm. The emission spectra show a narrow band originating from the transition from the 1S0 ground state to the 3P1 excited state of the Pb ions. A quenching of the photoluminescence is observed when the concentration of Pb2+ is higher than 5%. The influence of residual chlorine ions on the luminescent properties of the nanopowders is also discussed.