ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Effect of Cu²⁺ on the optical properties of zinc hydroxy-carbonate phosphors prepared in different synthesis conditions

L. E. Mureşan, I. Perhaița, C. Saroşi, L. Barbu-Tudoran, and G. Borodi

“Raluca Ripan” Institute for Research in Chemistry, “Babes-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

E-mail: laura_muresan2003@yahoo.com

Received: 10 November 2021  Accepted: 13 February 2022

Abstract:

Inorganic luminescent materials comprise a wide range of compounds showing a large area of applications in sensing, imaging, drug delivery or optical-electrical displays. In this study, various luminescent zinc hydroxy-carbonate compounds were prepared by precipitation using different precipitating agents such as LiOH, NH₃, Na₂CO₃ and (NH₄)₂CO₃. The morpho-structure and optical properties of samples are investigated by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), adsorption and porosity measurements (BET), optical (UV–Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The phase composition, morphology and porosity of zinc hydroxide (ZH) and zinc hydroxy-carbonates (ZHC) strongly depends on the evolution of pH and availability of different ionic species during the precipitation. The spherical particles of zinc hydroxy-carbonate compounds with sizes ranging between 5 and 20 nm, exhibits strong tendency to form layered or spongy aggregates. BET investigations show that the porosity is distributed either at the surface (ZH) or in the depth of the particles (ZHC) and the specific surface area of samples varies between 15 m²/g. and 55 m²/g. The effect of various amounts of Cu²⁺ on optical properties of samples is also discussed. Luminescent studies confirm that interaction with Cu²⁺ leads first to enhancement and then to quenching of the purple–blue emission of samples while, the energy band gap decreases due to the apparition of new acceptor–donor levels in the optical band gap. A mechanism is proposed to explain the luminescent behavior of the samples.

Keywords: Zinc hydroxide; Zinc hydroxy-carbonate; precipitation; Luminescence; Copper doping

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02135-x

Chemical Papers 76 (6) 3817–3828 (2022)