Synthesis and tunable emission from yellow-green to red-orange of Ca3MgSi2O8:Eu3+, Dy3+ phosphor

•Ca3MgSi2O8:Dy3+, Ca3MgSi2O8:Eu3+, and Ca3MgSi2O8:Eu3+, Dy3+ phosphors are synthesized in air.•Ca3MgSi2O8:Eu3+ phosphor with excitation at 394 nm emits red-orange light.•Ca3MgSi2O8:Dy3+ phosphor under excitation at 350 nm exhibits yellow-green emission.•The emission of Ca3MgSi2O8:Eu3+, Dy3+ phosphor from yellow-green to red-orange can be fulfilled. In this work, Ca3MgSi2O8:R (R = Dy3+, Eu3+, and Eu3+/Dy3+) phosphors are synthesized in air by using the high-emperature solid-state reaction method. The crystal phase, crystal structures, lifetimes, and luminescence properties are investigated. Ca3MgSi2O8:Eu3+ phosphor with excitation at 394 nm emits red-orange light and its emission spectrum covers the region from 575 nm to 720 nm due to the 5D0 → 7F0, 7F1, 7F2, 7F3, and 7F4 transitions of Eu3+ ion. Ca3MgSi2O8:Dy3+ phosphor under excitation at 350 nm exhibits yellow-green emission with four emission bands in the range of 460–500 nm, 550–600 nm, 650–680 nm, and 740–775 nm, which are attribuited to the 4F9/2 → 6H15/2, 6H13/2, 6H11/2, and 6H9/2 transitions of Dy3+ ion, respectively. The energy transfer from Dy3+ to Eu3+ ions in Ca3MgSi2O8:Eu3+, Dy3+ phosphor can be confirmed by the spectral properties. The tunable emission properties of Ca3MgSi2O8:Eu3+, Dy3+ phosphor from yellow-green to red-orange can be fulfilled by the change of the excitation wavelength or the concentration proportion between Dy3+ and Eu3+ ions. The luminous mechanism and energy transfer of Ca3MgSi2O8:Eu3+, Dy3+ phosphor are explained by the energy level diagrams of Eu3+ and Dy3+ ions. [Display omitted]