Crystallization and visible–near-infrared luminescence of Bi-doped gehlenite glass

Gehlenite glass microspheres, doped with a different concentration of Bi(3+) ions (0.5, 1, 3 mol%), were prepared by a combination of solid-state reaction followed by flame synthesis. The prepared glass microspheres were characterized from the point of view of surface morphology, phase composition, thermal and photoluminescence (PL) properties by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and PL spectroscopy. The closer inspection of glass microsphere surface by SEM confirmed a smooth surface. This was further verified by XRD. The basic thermal characteristics of prepared glasses, i.e. T(g) (glass transition temperature), T(x) (onset of crystallization peak temperature), T(f) (temperature of the inflection point of the crystallization peak) and T(p) (maximum of crystallization peak temperature), were estimated from the DSC records. High-temperature XRD experiments in the temperature interval range 600–1100°C were also performed. The PL emission properties of prepared glasses and their polycrystalline analogues (glass crystallized at 1000°C for 10 h) were studied in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral range. When excited at 300 nm, the glasses, as well as their polycrystalline analogues, exhibit broad emission in the visible spectral range from 350 to 650 nm centred at about 410–450 nm, corresponding to Bi(3+) luminescence centres. The emission intensity of polycrystalline samples was found to be at least 30 times higher than the emission of their glass analogues. In addition, a weak emission band was observed around 775 nm under 300 nm excitation. This band was attributed to the presence of a minor amount of Bi(2+) species in prepared samples. In the NIR spectral range, the broad band emission was observed in the spectral range of 1200–1600 nm with the maxima at 1350 nm. The chemistry of Bi and its oxidation state equilibrium in glasses and polycrystalline matrices is discussed in detail.