GdPxV1-xO4:Eu3+ Nanophosphor and Hydrated Zn3(PO4)2:Eu3+ Nanorod Bunch: Facile Reproducible Hydrothermal Synthesis, Controlled Microstructure, and Photoluminescence

In this paper, Eu 3+ -doped GdP x V 1- x O 4 ( x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9) and Zn 3 (PO 4 ) 2 nanophosphors were synthesized with hydrothermal technology. The products present interesting and regular morphologies under the mild conditions. For GdP x V 1- x O 4:Eu 3+, they have the similar tetragonal phase and their morphologies vary with the content ratio of P to V. For Zn 3 (PO 4 ) 2:Eu 3+, it shows the nanorod bunches with the orthorhombic phase. Furthermore, the luminescence behavior (spectra, lifetimes and quantum efficiencies) of Eu 3+ has been investigated in these two kinds of matrices. In GdP x V 1- x O 4:Eu 3+, the 5 D 0 − 7 F 2 emissions of Eu 3+ were the strongest, indicating that the Eu 3+ site is without inversion symmetry, while in Zn 3 (PO 4 ) 2:Eu 3+, the 5 D 0 − 7 F 1 emissions of Eu 3+ was predominant due to the inversion symmetry of the Eu 3+ site. The host compositions with different molar ratio of P to V have great influence on the luminescent performance. Among GdP x V 1- x O 4:Eu 3+, the intensity of red emission for Eu 3+ in GdP 0.5 V 0.5 O 4 is the strongest. Due to the higher Z / r value [ratio of charge ( Z ) to ionic radius ( r )] of P, the substitution of PO 4 3− for VO 4 3− decreases the covalent interactions of O 2- −Eu 3+ as well as the red to orange intensity ratio of Eu 3+ .