Fluorescence properties of Tb 3+ and Sm 3+ activated novel LiAl 7 B 4 O 17 host via solution combustion synthesis

Abstract Novel LiAl 7 B 4 O 17 (LABO) phosphor activated with trivalent rare earth ions (RE = Tb, Sm) was synthesized by using solution combustion synthesis. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), photoluminescence (PL), critical transfer distance ( R c ) and quenching mechanism studies were employed to characterize the samples. Under ultraviolet irradiation of the LiAl 7 B 4 O 17 : Tb 3+ , Sm 3+ phosphors exhibit the typical green ( 5 D 4 → 7 F j = 6, 5, 4 and 3) emission band of the Tb 3+ ions, as well as an orange-red and red ( 4 G 5/2 → 6 H J=5/2, 7/2, 9/2 ) emission bands of the Sm 3+ ions. These results suggest that Tb 3+ and Sm 3+ activated LABO phosphor could be promising in vision of the necessity for solid state lighting applications.