Energy transfer in Tb3+-doped Ba2Y0.67V2O8 phosphors preferential for near white light emission

[Display omitted] •Photoluminescence properties of Tb3+-doped Ba2Y0.67V2O8 phosphors are examined.•The undoped phosphor exhibited a wide blue emission band due to [VO4]3− groups.•Tb3+-doped phosphors showed added intense green emission (545 nm) of Tb3+ ions.•The host to dopant energy transfer tuned the emission color to bluish-white.•The results can be interesting and potential for white light emitting devices. Ba2Y0.67-xTbxV2O8 (x = 0.0–0.3) phosphors were produced by a solid-state methodology. The obtained compounds were isostructural with Ba3V2O8. The UV excited Ba2Y0.67-xTbxV2O8 phosphors exhibited a wide emission band centered at 440 nm realized for the [VO4]3− groups, and an intense green emission (545 nm) of Tb3+ ions. The host emission diminished and that of Tb3+ amplified with increasing the Tb3+-dopant up to a certain level of Tb3+ concentration owing to the energy transfer (ET) occurrences. Meanwhile, the coloring parameters navigated from the blue to the bluish-white. The presented strategy of fine-tuning the photoluminescence via the vanadate to Tb3+ ET could deliver potential white light-emitting systems.