The sol-gel process synthesis of GdAl3(BO3)4:Eu3+ nanophosphors

GdAl3(BO3)4:Eu3+ red phosphors were prepared using citric acid as complex agent by sol-gel technique. The preparation conditions of the precursor synthesis, including crystallization temperature and crystallization time were investigated. Their structure and luminescence properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and fluorescence spectrometry. The results showed that GdAl3(BO3)4:Eu3+ phosphor crystallized at 960 degrees C for 2 h have been synthesized by sol-gel method. The phosphor is distributed into hexagonal system and the lattice parameters are a = 9.2992 nm c = 7.2577 nm. The excitation spectrum of Gd(0.95)Al3(BO3)4:Eu(0.05)3+ samples is complex and the frequency scale is wide. It consists of a number of main excitation transitions namely 8S(7/2) --> 6IJ (270 nm) of Gd3+, and the others 7F0 --> 5L6 (400 nm), 7F0 --> 5D2 (472 nm) and 7F0 --> 5D1 (542 nm) of Eu3+. The main emission peaks are 614 nm and 619 nm, which are the characteristic emission peaks of Eu3+. These emission peaks correspond to the transition from 5D0 to 7F2 of Eu3+. The shape and the wavelength range of the emission spectrum are similar when the sample was excited by different excitation spectrum. Only the relative intensity of the emission peaks is different from each other.