Sol-gel synthesis and photoluminescence of CaTi1−x Zr x O3: Pr3+ phosphors

CaTi1−x Zr x O3: Pr3+ phosphors have been synthesized by sol-gel and solid state methods, with x = 1/300, 2/300, 3/300, 4/300, 5/300, 6/300, 7/300, respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible absorption spectra, photoluminescent spectra (PL), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images are used to characterize the powder samples. The inverse absorption at 610 nm appearing in the UV-visible absorption spectra is due to the 1 D 2 → 3 H 4 characteristic emission of Pr3+. Changes in the emission spectra at 610 nm were agreed with those in UV-visible absorption spectra. The strongest red excitation obtained from CaTi1−x Zr x O3: Pr3+ (x = 4/300) and CaTi1−x Zr x O3: Pr3+ (x = 5/300) possesses the strongest emission at 610 nm, similar to the intensities of Ca(Ti1−x Zr x )O3: Pr3+ (x = 3/300, 4/300, 6/300), which may be corresponded to the cell parameters of CaTi1−x ZrxO3: Pr3+.