Synthesis, structural and optical characterization of Nd: YAG powders via flame spray pyrolysis

In this study, undoped Y3Al5O12 (YAG) and neodymium (Nd3+) doped (Nd: YAG) powders were synthesized by Flame Spray Pyrolysis (FSP) for the first time in literature. The synthesized powders were investigated about structural, morphological, elemental and optical properties by using Thermogravimetric - Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA-TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The particle size range of undoped and Nd doped YAG powders produced by the FSP method was determined around 200–1100 nm. After calcination at 1000 °C, cubic YAG crystalline phases were successfully observed. The luminescence results as excitation, emission, and upconversion properties have been investigated for both undoped YAG (YG) and Nd3+ doped YAG with different dopant ratios as 1% (YG1), 3% (YG3) and %5 (YG5). When synthesized powders excited at 460 nm, the emission maxima observed at 540 nm and 808 nm. All YAG powders yielded bi-exponential decay curves. The highest decay time value was 1% Nd: YAG particle at 277 μs. Furthermore, these powders exhibited upconversion luminescence at lower wavelengths and higher energies when excited at 808 nm. •Nd:YAG powders are synthesized via Flame Spray Pyrolysis for the first time.•FSP technique brought in the advantage of shorter production time with one production step, and higher efficiency.•Synthesized Nd:YAG powders exhibited upconversion luminescence at lower wavelengths and higher energies when excited at 808 nm.