Structure and luminescent properties of co-doped nanocrystalline Y₂O₃:Eu

Nanocrystalline Y₂O₃:Eu powders doped with different metal ions M (M: Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺, B³⁺ and Al³⁺) were synthesized by glycine combustion. Their structure and luminescent properties were studied and compared with each other. The nanocrystalline Y₂O₃ were cubic in symmetry by XRD pattern. It can be concluded that co-doping can modify the size and crystallinity of nanoparticles. As a consequence, the luminescent properties such as the fluorescent intensity, lifetime of ⁵D₀-⁷F₂ and the location of charge transfer band (CT band) vary with co-dopants. The variation depends more strongly on the crystallinity of nanoparticles than the size. Especially, in Li⁺-doped Y₂O₃:Eu nanoparticles, the emission intensity improves as large as three times than that of undoped ones.