Preparation and luminescent properties of rare earth Eu-doped nano-ZnO composite films on textiles

This study reports the successful preparation of rare-earth Eu-doped ZnO composite films on cotton fabric, achieving remarkable luminescent properties through the magnetron sputtering method. A comprehensive analysis of the structural and luminescent characteristics of the samples was conducted using various evaluation techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, photocatalysis testing and color fastness measurements. The findings indicate that the affiliation of Eu ³⁺ ions significantly enhanced the luminescent intensity along with the photocatalytic property of the ZnO-loaded fabrics. Furthermore, the sample sputtered for a duration of 1 hour exhibited superior overall optical performance than that of 3 hours. This study demonstrates the potential of Eu-doped ZnO composite films for various applications, including luminescent and photocatalytic textiles.