Materials Letters: X 18 (2023) 100202

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Materials Letters: X
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Synthesis and photoluminescence study of KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphors for

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: A series of KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphors was effectively synthesized utilizing a wet chemical method. The photo­
Phosphate luminescence excitation and emission properties of the phosphor were investigated. The KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor
Photoluminescence was efficiently excited at 394 nm, and the PL (Photoluminescence) emission spectra were obtained at 591 and
Solid state lighting
614 nm. Concentration quenching occurred at a Eu3+ ion concentration of 0.5 mol%. The present work suggests
CIE chromaticity coordinates
Phosphor
that the KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphors may be a potential candidate as a near-UV (Ultraviolet) convertible material for
solid state lighting applications.

1. Introduction phosphors. Due to their outstanding luminescence, cheap cost, and high
efficiency, orthophosphate phosphate Eu3+ doped with rare earth ele­
Due to advantageous great brightness, consumption of low power, ments like Sr3La(PO4)3:Eu3+ [14], BiPO4:Eu3+ [15] and Ba3(PO4)2: RE
and extended operating life, w-LEDs have been regarded as significant (RE = Sm3+, Eu3+, Dy3+) [16], are employed to generate these phos­
solid state light sources. Lanthanide ions phosphors have long attracted phors prepared by wet chemical synthesis. In this study, the KCaPO4:
the attention of researchers because of their vital applications in a va­ Eu3+ phosphors were prepared utilizing a wet chemical technique. We
riety of fields like solid state lasers, biomolecule detection, sensing de­ carefully investigated the photoluminescence properties and CIE co­
vices, diagnostic imaging, plasma displays, and w-LEDs [1–4]. Due to ordinates. The KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphors were produced by a wet chem­
the presence of exceptional properties, such as strong light efficiency, ical technique and the phosphors have great potential in solid-state
eco-friendliness, absence of hazardous mercury, long life, compact na­ lighting.
ture, and durability, pc-w-LEDs had lately been recognized as the most
promising technological developments in the current generation of the 2. Experimental
SSL industry [5,6]. They are utilized in a variety of applications,
including indicators, automotive headlights, backlights, and general The wet chemical method was used to synthesize the KCaPO4:xEu3+
illumination [7,8]. The most popular technique for creating w-LEDs was (where x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1 mol%) phosphor. The sample was prepared
developed by S. Nakamura et al. in 1997 [9], combining both the blue- using potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, ammonium dihydrogen phos­
based InGaN LED (Light Emitting Diode) chip and the yellow-emitting phate, and europium oxide. Analytical Reagent grade materials and
(yttrium aluminum garnet) YAG:Ce3+ phosphors. A poor colour chemicals are utilized. The samples should be put first on the sample
executing index (CRI, Ra 7000 K) brought due to the absence of a red weighing and weight box. Eu2O3 is dissolved into an HNO3 solution to
component and significant thermal quenching are two shortcomings of change europium oxide into europium nitrate. Potassium nitrate, cal­
the pc-w-LEDs previously discussed [10–12]. cium nitrate, and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate were all indepen­
As a result, the creation of novel, highly efficient phosphors triggered dently dissolved in separate beakers with double distilled water. A single
by near-UV chips has received a lot of attention in the process of making beaker containing the mixed dissolved solutions was placed on the
w-LEDs [13]. Due to transitions 5D0→7FJ (J=0, 1, 2, 3, 4), the trivalent magnetic stirrer. The sample became transparent after 30 min of stirring,
europium ion has been identified as one of the best activators in the and a powder product was achieved after 14 h of heating at 80 ◦ C in a

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: atulyerpude@gmail.com (A.N. Yerpude).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mlblux.2023.100202
Received 30 January 2023; Received in revised form 26 April 2023; Accepted 14 May 2023
Available online 23 May 2023
2590-1508/© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
C.M. Nandanwar et al. Materials Letters: X 18 (2023) 100202

Fig. 1. XRD patterns of KCaPO4 phosphor.

Fig. 2. (a). Excitation bands of KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor (λem = 614 nm). (b). Emission bands of KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor excitation peak at 394 nm.

hot Air Oven. Lastly, the samples were crushed to form a powder of fine diffraction with a range diffractometer with 2θ in of 20◦ − 90◦ , produced
quality to evaluate the photoluminescence characteristics. The excita­ by Wet chemical method. The XRD pattern shows that all diffracted
tion spectrum and emission spectrum were measured using Shimazdu RF peaks of produced phosphor are very sharp and intense, indicating that
5301 Spectro fluorophotometer and a Xenon lamp was used as the the synthesized sample was crystalline and homogenous [17]. The ob­
source of excitation. tained pattern of KCaPO4 phosphor has no additional other phases and
no other impurity phases in the composition.
3. Results and discussion
3.2. Photoluminescence properties of KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor
3.1. X-ray diffraction
Fig. 2. (a). illustrates the excitation bands of KCaPO4:xEu3+ (x = 0.1,
The phase of the produced phosphors was identified and validated 0.3, 0.5, 1 mol%) phosphor measured in the wavelength range 350–420
using XRD. The XRD patterns for the KCaPO4 phosphors shown in Fig. 1 nm, with a monitored emission band at 614 nm. The excitation bands at
are closely matched with the standard JCPDS PDF Card number 00–033- 361, 377, 383, 394 and 416 nm corresponding to Eu3+ ions transitions
7
1002 pattern with a hexagonal phase and space group P-3 m1. The F0→5D4, 7F0→5G3, 7F0→5G2, 7F0→5L6 and 7F0→5D3 [18–20]. The
structural parameters, phase verification, and crystalline structure of maximum excitation peak in the KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor excitation
synthesized KCaPO4 phosphor were analyzed using powder X-ray spectra was determined to be 394 nm. Fig. 2. (b). Show the emission

2
C.M. Nandanwar et al. Materials Letters: X 18 (2023) 100202

Fig. 3. Variations in emission intensity at 591 and 614 nm as a measure of Eu3+ ion concentration in KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor.

Fig. 4. Diagram showing CIE coordinate of KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor.

spectra of KCaPO4:xEu3+ (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1 mol%) phosphors. The 3.3. CIE coordinates of KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor
KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphors two emission bands are observed at 591 and
614 nm, under excitation spectra at 394 nm [21]. The emission bands The chromatic performance of a phosphor is largely determined by
indicate the MD transition for 5D0→7F1 at 591 nm and the ED transition its colour coordinates. The CIE (Commission Internationale de
for 5D0→7F2 at 613 nm [22,23]. As a consequence, it has been estab­ l’éclairage) coordinates of KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor are presented in
lished that the KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor is appropriate for usage in n-UV Fig. 4, with an excitation peak at 394 nm respectively. The corre­
stimulating solid state lighting. sponding × and y coordinates of orange colour is (x = 0.580, y = 0.418)
Fig. 3. displays the variations in emission intensity at 591 and 614 for 591 nm and coordinates of red colour is (x = 0.677, y = 0.322) for
nm as a measure of Eu3+ ion concentration in KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor. 614 nm [26,27]. These results demonstrate the great degree of colour
The emission intensity rises firstly due to the concentration of Eu3+ ions, purity of this phosphor [28,29]. All of the findings point to the potential
acquires a maximum at 0.5 mol%, and then declines for further con­ application of KCaPO4:Eu3+ phosphor for solid state lighting
centration of Eu3+ ions. The reduction in emission intensity is because of applications.
concentration quenching [24,25].

3
C.M. Nandanwar et al. Materials Letters: X 18 (2023) 100202

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The authors declare that they have no known competing financial [14] C.M. Nandanwar, N.S. Kokode, R.M. Yerojwar, A.N. Yerpude, R.S. Meshram,
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence J. Optics 51 (2023) 1.
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[16] C.M. Nandanwar, N.S. Kokode, A.N. Yerpude, S.J. Dhoble, Chem. Data Collect. 44
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Mr. Chandrahasya M. Nandanwar is thankful for financial support [22] S.J. Dhoble, B.P. Kore, A.N. Yerpude, R.L. Kohale, P.W. Yawalkar, N.S. Dhoble,
from the MJPRF-2021, Nagpur (MH), India, fellowship (Outward No. Optik 126 (2015) 1527.
MAHAJYOTI/Nag./Fellowship/ 2021-22/1042 (142) Dated 17/01/ [23] S.K. Ramteke, A.N. Yerpude, N.S. Kokode, S.J. Dhoble, Bull. Mater. Sci. 44 (2021)
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