Rapid and Energy-Saving Microwave-Assisted Solid-State Synthesis of Pr3+-, Eu3+-, or Tb3+-Doped Lu2O3 Persistent Luminescence Materials

Persistent luminescence materials Lu2O3:R3+,M (Pr,HfIV; Eu; or Tb,Ca2+) were successfully and rapidly (22 min) prepared by microwave-assisted solid-state synthesis (MASS) using a carbon microwave susceptor and H3BO3 as flux. Reaction times are reduced by up to 93% over previous synthetic methods, without special gases application and using a domestic microwave oven. All materials prepared with H3BO3 flux exhibit LuBO3 impurities that were quantified by Rietveld refinement from synchrotron radiation X-ray powder diffraction patterns. The flux does not considerably affect the crystalline structure of the C-Lu2O3, however. Scanning electron micrographs suggest low surface area when H3BO3 flux is used in the materials’ synthesis, decreasing the amount of surface hydroxyl groups in Lu2O3 and improving the luminescence intensity of the phosphors. The carbon used as the susceptor generates CO gas, leading to complete reduction of TbIV to Tb3+ and partial conversion of PrIV to Pr3+ present in the Tb4O7 and Pr6O11 precursors, as indicated by X-ray absorption near-edge structure data. Persistent luminescence spectra of the materials show the red/near-IR, reddish orange, and green emission colors assigned to the 4f n → 4f n transitions characteristics of Pr3+, Eu3+, and Tb3+ ions, respectively. Differences between the UV-excited and persistent luminescence spectra can be explained by the preferential persistent luminescence emission of R3+ ion in the S 6 site rather than R3+ in the C 2 site. In addition, inclusion of HfIV and Ca2+ codopants in the Lu2O3 host increases the emission intensity and duration of persistent luminescence due to generation of traps caused by charge compensation in the lattice. Photonic materials prepared by MASS with H3BO3 flux show higher persistent luminescence performance than those prepared by the ceramic method or MASS without flux. Color tuning of persistent luminescence in Lu2O3:R3+,M provides potential applications in bioimaging as well as in solar cell sensitizers.