Triboluminescent Properties of Dysprosium Doped Europium Dibenzoylmethide Triethylammonium

The ability of an object to emit light upon fracture is known as triboluminescence (TL). While no complete theory on TL exists, its applications are limitless. One such use of TL is for detecting damage on aircraft or Lunar habitats. In order to make these sensors more effective, the TL must be bright. Europium dibenzoylmethide triethylammonium (EuD4TEA) is one of the brightest known materials. In 2010, the authors began investigating the use of dopants to increase the TL even further. Thus far they have been successful in increasing the TL of EuD4TEA by nearly 200%. This paper explores the effects of doping EuD4TEA with dysprosium. In addition, the effects of this addition on the decay time and the emission spectra are also reported.