A Spectroscopic Correlative Analysis of Eu3+‐Substituted Zn1‐xSnO3 Nano Phosphors for Anticounterfeiting Applications

A series of orange–red phosphors Zn1‐xSnO3:xEu3+ synthesized using a sol–gel combustion process is used to study the modified local crystal structure by site‐selective substitution of Eu3+ ions. XRD with the Rietveld refinement analysis reveals an orthorhombic ZnSnO3 structure with a space group 61. SEM and TEM with EDAX analyses confirm the flower‐like morphology of Zn1‐xSnO3:xEu3+ nanorods. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy gives substantial confirmation for the inclusion of Eu3+ ions into the ZnSnO3 host. Judd‐Ofelt analysis confirms the substitution of Eu3+ ion in an asymmetric environment in ZnSnO3, which is responsible for orange–red emission at 615 nm. UV–vis–DRS analysis shows that the addition of Eu3+ ions (1% to 17% in phases of 4%) results in the formation of confined energy states with an increased band gap from 2.78 to 3.29 eV. The ability of ZnSnO3 to host Eu3+ ions signifies that it can be used as an effective luminescent material. Cyclic voltammetry analysis reveals the enhanced charge separation in Zn1‐xSnO3:xEu3+(13%) nanophosphor. The optimized Zn1‐xSnO3:xEu3+(13%) nano phosphor mixed with silicone investigated for the generation of anti‐counterfeiting patterns indicates its potential to generate high‐resolution image patterns on various surfaces under monochromatic UV or visible‐LASER LED illumination. The research reports on the potential of orange‐red‐emitting, thermally and electrochemically stable perovskite‐type site‐preferentially substituted Zn1‐xSnO3:xEu3+ nano phosphor to form stable coatings with silicone to generate high‐resolution image patterns on different surfaces that can be decrypted using UV or visible‐LASER LED illumination for anticounterfeiting applications. The optically active nature of nano ink, which can disclose patterns, is evidenced.