Structural and luminescence characterization of Eu3+/ZnS nanoparticle-doped ZrO2/PEG composites

ZnS nanoparticles of varying concentrations were incorporated into Eu3+ doped ZrO2/PEG composite system through non-hydrolytic sol–gel method. The presence of the nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD and TEM analyses. The elemental composition of the prepared sample was verified using EDX analysis. Different vibrational modes of the composite system were found out by FTIR spectra. Thermal stability of the as-prepared sample was measured using TGA and DTA analyses. The optical bandgap of the composite system was calculated from the absorption spectrum. The excitation spectrum shows the broad excitation bands of the sensitizer (ZnS) and Host (ZrO2/PEG) as well as the characteristic excitation peaks of the activator (Eu3+). The emission spectra reveal that the characteristic emission of Eu3+ can be obtained using 392 nm as well as the excitation wavelength of the sensitizer (275 nm). The CIE chromaticity analysis shows a change in the emission colour of the co-doped samples from yellow to reddish orange corresponding to a change in the excitation wavelength from 392 to 275 nm. These results suggest the applicability of the as-synthesized composite system as a potential candidate in various optoelectronic devices.