Tunable emission and temperature sensing performance in novel oxyfluoride borosilicate glass ceramics containing Eu3+/Tb3+: KY3F10 nanocrystals

Abstract Novel borosilicate glasses containing Tb3+/Eu3+ co-doped KY3F10 nanocrystals were manufactured via a traditional melt-quenching route and subsequent heat treatment. The nano-crystal structure was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and its morphology directly observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Enhanced fluorescence intensity of the prepared samples can be obtained with a higher temperature heat treatment, which is ascribed to the embedding of Tb3+/Eu3+ co-doped KY3F10 nanocrystals in the system glass. The effect of Eu3+ concentration on its luminescence was also carried out, and the energy transfer process between Tb3+ and Eu3+ was ascertained through emission spectra and decay curves. It was found that tunable luminescence from green to red can be obtained by controlling Eu3+ concentration in view of red emission of Eu3+ ion and energy transfer process from Tb3+ to Eu3+. The fluorescence relative intensity ratio (FIR) between 545 nm (Tb3+: 5D4→7F5) and 615 nm (Eu3+: 5D0→7F2) in the sample was also highly dependent on the temperature of the environment from measured temperature-dependent spectra, and high sensitivity of 0.24% K-1 can be achieved for the obtained glass ceramics (GCs). Their excellent properties in both chemistry-physics and sensing behavior render them a promising candidate for multicolor display and temperature sensor.