Sol-gel method for preparing a novel red-emitting phosphor YVO4:Sm3+, Eu3+ with ideal red color emission

Abstract A series of novel color-tunable phosphors YVO 4 :Sm 3+ , Eu 3+ was synthesized using a sol-gel method. The crystal structure and photoluminescence properties of the synthesized phosphors were measured and analyzed. By changing the ratio of Sm 3+ –Eu 3+ , the color of these phosphors can be changed from orange to red. This phenomenon was closely related to the energy transfer from Sm 3+ to Eu 3+ , and analysis demonstrated that the energy-transfer mechanism arose from quadrupole–quadrupole interaction, with a critical distance of about 10.28 A. The Commission International deL’Eclairage value of YVO 4 :0.05Sm 3+ , 0.11Eu 3+ enabled the achievement of the standard red coordinates (0.67, 0.33). All these results indicated that the red phosphors can be used as a red component of white-light-emitting diodes.