KY(MoO4)2:Eu3+ Phosphor: Template-Free Hydrothermal Synthesis and Luminescent Properties

KY(MoO4)2 microcrystals with different morphologies, including rhombic, sheet-like, rectangular plate-like, and hexagon plate-like, have been successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method without using any templates, surfactant, or other organic additives by varying the molar ratios of Y(NO3)3/K2MoO4 and pH values of the resultant solutions. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), photoluminescence (PL), and photoluminescent excitation spectra (PLE) were employed to characterize the samples. Furthermore, a systematic study on the photoluminescence of Eu3+ doped KY(MoO4)2 samples has been explored by varying experimental conditions. The strongest red emission can be observed clearly at 616 nm. And by controlling the doping concentration of Eu3+ in KY(MoO4)2 solutions, it can be seen that the concentration quenching occurs at 25 at.% for Eu3+. These results suggest that the well-crystallized KY(MoO4)2:Eu3+ microcrystals synthesized in our experiment can be used as a red component for white light emitting diodes (W-LEDs).