Sol-gel synthesis and study of praseodymium substitution effects in yttrium aluminium garnet Y3-xPrxAl5O12

In this study, praseodymium substituted yttrium aluminium garnet (Y3-xPrxAl5O12; YPrAG (0 ≤ x ≤ 3)) powders were synthesized by an aqueous sol-gel method and investigated. YPrAG samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Luminescence measurements of YPrAG samples were performed as well. It was demonstrated, that three phase regions exist depending on the substitutional level of Pr3+ in Y3-xPrxAl5O12. The single-phase cubic garnets have formed up to x = 0.30. The mixture of garnet and trigonal perovskite (Y1-xPrxAlO3) phase have formed when x is between 0.45 and 2.00. The perovskite phase was the main crystalline phase with further increasing amount of praseodymium, no garnet structure was observed. The amorphous impurity phases were detected by solid state NMR spectroscopy. Two broad and intense emission bands in the UV region peaked at 325 and 381 nm and several sharp emission bands in the visible region were determined by investigating the luminescence properties of the Y3-xPrxAl5O12 mixed-metal oxides. [Display omitted] •Y3-xPrxAl5O12 specimens were synthesized using aqueous sol-gel synthesis method.•Monophasic garnets obtained at low substitution of yttrium by praseodymium. .•The region of coexisting phases have been evidently deduced by solid state NMR spectroscopy. .•The Pr3+ emission in the range of 300–750 was observed in Y3-xPrxAl5O12 garnets.•The decay times for the Y3-xPrxAl5O12 garnets decreased with increasing Pr3+ amount. .