Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Low-energy Cathodoluminescence for OxyNitride Phosphors
Published on: November 15, 2016
Multiemission of Ce3+ from a Single Crystallographic Site Induced by Disordering of Ions
Takuya Yasunaga1, Makoto Kobayashi2, Kenji Oqmhula3
1Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan.
Abstract:
White-light emission with a single activator is an attractive function of phosphors. In this work, we investigated the photoluminescence properties of Ca5.7Y1.3Si7O16.7N3.3, which is a compound denoted as Ca4+Y3-Si7O15+N5- discovered by our group, with Ce-activation using optical measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Samples showed a tunable emission from purple to white under ultraviolet (UV) light. In this compound, Ca and Y as well as anions are distributed disorderly, and Ca/Y ions occupy two crystallographically distinct sites; those sites are possible sites for Ce substitution. DFT calculation and structural refinement revealed that the tunable emission was generated by Ce at the crystallographically equivalent site but with distinct local structures caused by the disordering of cations and anions. As far as we know, this is the first report about a white-light-emitting phosphor with only Ce activation.
Related Concept Videos
Ionic Bonding and Electron Transfer
Electron Configuration of Multielectron Atoms
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
Trends in Lattice Energy: Ion Size and Charge
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect

