Effects of boric acid on structural and luminescent properties of BaAl2O4:(Eu2+, Dy3+) phosphors

Eu2+/Dy3+-codoped BaAl2O4 phosphors were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction with boric acid flux. The effects of boric acid on structural and luminescent properties of BaAl2O4:(Eu2+, Dy3+) were investigated. The crystallinity of BaAl2O4 improved with increasing amount of H3BO3. Incorporation of Eu2+ and Dy3+ ions into effective lattice sites was promoted by H3BO3 addition. As a result, Eu2+ emission in BaAl2O4 was greatly enhanced by H3BO3, and the duration of persistent luminescence increased with the amount of H3BO3. However, the decay lifetime of persistent luminescence was not strongly influenced by the amount of H3BO3.