Synchronous red and blue emitting Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 :Eu 2+ , Mn 2+ phosphors applicable for plant-lighting

Abstract Eu 2+ –Mn 2+ co-doped Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 phosphors with synchronous red and blue emissions for the application of plant-lighting were prepared by the conventional solid state reaction. The emission spectra of the phosphors were composed of simultaneous band emissions peaked at around 660 nm for red and 420 nm for blue, which matches well with the photosynthesis absorption spectrum of plants. Tunable red/blue emitting ratio of the phosphors was demonstrated to meet the variable light component requirements for different species of plants by controlling the energy transfer process between Eu 2+ and Mn 2+ . In addition, the energy transfer process and transfer mechanism between Eu 2+ and Mn 2+ were discussed in detail. Performances of light emitting diodes (LEDs) prototype fabricated by ultraviolet chip and the prepared phosphors indicated a promising prospect of this functional phosphor in the field of plant illumination.