Cr3+ doped Al2O3 nanoparticles: Effect of Cr3+ content in intensifying red emission

Abstract Cr3+-doped α-Al2O3 nanoparticles (Al2−xCrxO3, 0.005 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) were synthesized by co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of Cr3+:Al2O3 nanoparticles revealed the crystallite size of ∼53 nm and electron microscopy (SEM & TEM) confirmed the spherical nanoparticle formation. Diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) displayed peaks at 406 and 558 nm corresponding to the Cr3+ transitions which became prominent with the increase in Cr3+ concentration which was also evidenced by the gradually increasing pink coloration of the samples. Photoluminescence (PL) studies showed the sharp red emission at 694 nm (ruby line) which was observed for all samples. The Dq/B value for all samples was found to be greater than 2.3 confirming the presence of Cr3+ ions in the octahedral sites. Chromaticity diagrams displayed the maximum red appearance for the sample with x=0.01 and a lifetime of 4 ms. The synthesized Cr3+:Al2O3 nanoparticles with smaller crystallite sizes and narrow near monochromatic emission can be used in various applications including sensing, lasing, and bioimaging applications.