Correlation among photoluminescence and the electronic and atomic structures of Sr(2)SiO(4):xEu(3+) phosphors: X-ray absorption and emission studies

A series of Eu(3+)-activated strontium silicate phosphors, Sr(2)SiO(4):xEu(3+) (SSO:xEu(3+), x = 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0%), were synthesized by a sol–gel method, and their crystalline structures, photoluminescence (PL) behaviors, electronic/atomic structures and bandgap properties were studied. The correlation among these characteristics was further established. X-ray powder diffraction analysis revealed the formation of mixed orthorhombic α'-SSO and monoclinic β-SSO phases of the SSO:xEu(3+) phosphors. When SSO:xEu(3+) phosphors are excited under ultraviolet (UV) light (λ = 250 nm, ~ 4.96 eV), they emit yellow (~ 590 nm), orange (~ 613 nm) and red (~ 652 and 703 nm) PL bands. These PL emissions typically correspond to 4f–4f electronic transitions that involve the multiple excited (5)D(0) → (7)F(J) levels (J = 1, 2, 3 and 4) of Eu(3+) activators in the host matrix. This mechanism of PL in the SSO:xEu(3+) phosphors is strongly related to the local electronic/atomic structures of the Eu(3+)–O(2−) associations and the bandgap of the host lattice, as verified by Sr K-edge and Eu L(3)-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES)/extended X-ray absorption fine structure, O K-edge XANES and K(α) X-ray emission spectroscopy. In the synthesis of SSO:xEu(3+) phosphors, interstitial Eu(2)O(3)-like structures are observed in the host matrix that act as donors, providing electrons that are nonradiatively transferred from the Eu 5d and/or O 2p–Eu 4f/5d states (mostly the O 2p–Eu 5d states) to the (5)D(0) levels, facilitating the recombination of electrons that have transitioned from the (5)D(0) level to the (7)F(J) level in the bandgap. This mechanism is primarily responsible for the enhancement of PL emissions in the SSO:xEu(3+) phosphors. This PL-related behavior indicates that SSO:xEu(3+) phosphors are good light-conversion phosphor candidates for use in near-UV chips and can be very effective in UV-based light-emitting diodes.