[Synthesis of the Zn2SiO4 : Eu3+ red phosphor by sol-gel method]

Spherical Zn2 SiO4 : Eu3+ phosphors were prepared by a Pechini sol-gel process. The microstructure and luminescent properties of the obtained Zn2 SiO4 : Eu3+ particles were well characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The results of SEM demonstrated that the Zn2 SiO4 : Eu3+ particles with a diameter about 1 -3microm, which have spherical morphology, emitted an intensive red light emission at 613 nm under excitation at 395 nm. Besides, the effects of the Eu3+ concentration, annealing temperature and charge compensators of Li+ ions on the PL emission intensities were investigated in detail. The investigation showed that the PL intensity increased with the annealing temperature increasing. At the same time, the PL intensity firstly increased and then decreased with the Eu3+ and Li+ concentration increasing.