Near-infrared emitting Ca

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid-State Chemistry
• Luminescence

Background:

• Development of efficient phosphors for energy conversion is crucial.
• Near-infrared (NIR) emitting materials are of interest for solar energy applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel NIR emitting phosphors.
• To investigate the energy transfer mechanisms in Eu2+-Nd3+ doped phosphors.
• To explore potential applications in solar photovoltaics.

Main Methods:

• Solid-state reaction synthesis.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) for structural analysis.
• Reflectance, photoluminescence (PL) emission, and PL excitation (PLE) spectroscopy.
• PL lifetime measurements.

Main Results:

• Intense NIR emission achieved in Ca5(PO4)3Cl:Eu2+,Nd3+ phosphors.
• Efficient energy transfer (80.8%) observed from Eu2+ to Nd3+ ions upon nUV excitation.
• Eu2+ lifetimes were shortened by Nd3+ doping, indicating energy transfer.
• Concentration quenching of NIR emission was attributed to Nd3+–Nd3+ energy transfer with a critical distance of 11.41 Å.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized phosphors exhibit efficient nUV to NIR conversion via Eu2+→Nd3+ energy transfer.
• The material shows promise for applications in solar photovoltaics due to its absorption and emission properties.