Photoluminescence of the nanosized xerogel Zn2SiO4:Mn2+ in pores of anodic alumina

Abstract

The photoluminescence properties of a composite material prepared by the introduction of the nanosized phosphor Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ into porous anodic alumina have been investigated. Scanning electron microscopy studies have revealed that Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ particles are uniformly distributed in 70% of the volume of the pore channels. The samples exhibit an intense luminescence in the range of 2.3–3.0 eV, which corresponds to the emission of different types of F centers in alumina. After the formation of Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ nanoparticles in the pores, an intense photoluminescence band is observed at 2.4 eV due to the ⁴T₁–⁶A₁ electronic transition within the 3d shell of the Mn²⁺ activator ion. It has been found that the maximum of the photoluminescence of Zn₂SiO₄:Mn²⁺ xerogel nanoparticles located in the porous matrix is shifted to higher energies, and the luminescence decay time decreases significantly.