Remarkable photoluminescence enhancement and tuning in Eu/CdS co-doped chloroborosilicate glass-ceramics

Author(s)

Shasmal, Nilanjana ; Faria, Walter Jose Gomes Juste ; Serbena, Francisco Carlos ; de Camargo, Andrea Simone Stucchi ; Rodrigues, Ana Candida Martins

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL; v. 48, n. 12, p. 12-pg., 2022-06-15.

Abstract

The effect of heat treatment was studied on Eu/CdS co-doped chloroborosilicate glass having a new composition 37.8SiO(2)-27B(2)O(3)-18BaO-3.6K(2)O-3.6Al(2)O(3)-10BaCl(2) (mol%) recently developed in our group. The base glass has been proven to be a suitable host for various rare-earth ions and metallic nanoparticles, also upon controlled crystallization, because it has the potential to yield low-phonon energy (350 cm(-1)) BaCl2 crystals. The glasses were heat treated at 650 C for several time durations. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the presence of CdS quantum dots (QDs) and BaCl2 crystals in the heat-treated glasses. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the formation of glass-ceramics, with the presence of BaCl2-based phases. When heat-treated, all the Eu/CdS co-doped glasses showed an intense enhancement in Eu3+/Eu2+ emissions up to 30 or 40 h of heat treatment, followed by a gradual decrease. The initial increase is due to the formation of low-phonon energy BaCl2-based crystalline phases as well as the generation and growth of CdS QDs at elevated temperature. The subsequent decrease in PL intensity is attributed to the concentration quenching effect of the QDs. The rate of enhancement was significantly higher when glasses formed opaque glass-ceramics due to the change in environment of the Eu ions and scattering effect. The maximum intensity enhancement due to the CdS co-doping and glass crystallization was observed to be 400 times as compared to the non heat-treated glass containing the same amount of Eu. This enhancement is quite remarkable in rare-earth/semiconductor co-doped glasses and can be useful in various photonic applications. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/04113-8 - Synthesis, Optical Properties, and Applications of Glasses and Glass-ceramics embedded with Semiconductor and Semiconductor-metal Hybrid Nanoparticles
• Grantee: Nilanjana Shasmal
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral