Photoluminescence of the nanosized xerogel [Zn.sub.2]Si[O.sub.4]:[Mn.sup.2+] in pores of anodic alumina

The photoluminescence properties of a composite material prepared by the introduction of the nanosized phosphor [Zn.sub.2]Si[O.sub.4]:[Mn.sup.2+] into porous anodic alumina have been investigated. Scanning electron microscopy studies have revealed that [Zn.sub.2]Si[O.sub.4]:[Mn.sup.2+] particles are uniformly distributed in 70% of the volume of the pore channels. The samples exhibit an intense luminescence in the range of 2.3-3.0 eV, which corresponds to the emission of different types of F centers in alumina. After the formation of [Zn.sub.2]Si[O.sub.4]:[Mn.sup.2+] nanoparticles in the pores, an intense photoluminescence band is observed at 2.4 eV due to the [sup.4][T.sub.1]- [sup.6][A.sub.1] electronic transition within the 3d shell of the [Mn.sup.2+] activator ion. It has been found that the maximum of the photoluminescence of [Zn.sub.2]Si[O.sub.4]:[Mn.sup.2+] xerogel nanoparticles located in the porous matrix is shifted to higher energies, and the luminescence decay time decreases significantly.