Structural Evolution and Effect of the Neighboring Cation on the Photoluminescence of Sr(LiAl3)1−x(SiMg3)xN4:Eu2+ Phosphors

In this study, a series of Sr(LiAl3)1−x(SiMg3)xN4:Eu2+ (SLA‐SSM) phosphors were synthesized by a solid‐solution process. The emission peak maxima of SLA‐SSM range from 615 nm to 680 nm, which indicates structural differences in these materials. 7Li solid‐state NMR spectroscopy was utilized to distinguish between the Li(1)N4 and Li(2)N4 tetrahedra in SLA‐SSM. Differences in the coordination environments of the two Sr sites were found which explain the unexpected luminescent properties. Three discernible morphologies were detected by scanning electron microscopy. Temperature‐dependent photoluminescence and decay times were used to understand the diverse environments of europium ions in the two strontium sites Sr1 and Sr2, which also support the NMR analysis. Moreover, X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure studies reveal that the Eu2+ concentration in SLA‐SSM is much higher than that in in SrLiAl3N4:Eu2+ and SrSiMg3N4:Eu2+ phosphors. Finally, an overall mechanism was proposed to explain the how the change in photoluminescence is controlled by the size of the coordinated cation. Mix and match: A series of solid‐solution Sr(LiAl3)1−x(SiMg3)xN4:Eu2+ phosphors display a fundamental change in structure. Differences in the coordination environments of two Sr sites were found which explain unexpected luminescent properties. Solid‐solution synthesis methods may be a good way to combine the advantages of two phosphors by tuning the chemical composition.