Host sensitized luminescence of Pb 2+ in K 7 CaY 2 (B 5 O 10 ) 3 borate for nUV applications

K7CaY2(B5O10)3 is a transparent and stable borate host for the study of luminescence. Luminescence of well-known lanthanides Gd3+, Eu3+, Tb3+ has been reported in the literature. An interesting aspect was the host sensitization of Eu3+ and Tb3+. Pb2+ is another activator that can provide intense luminescence originating from allowed 3Pj🡪1So transitions; the emission depends on the host, but in most cases, it is in the ultraviolet. Such emission was indeed observed, and host sensitization of this emission is also reported here. The structural, EDS, SEM, elemental analysis and FTIR properties are also studied and reported. In the excitation spectrum, bands are observed at 267 nm and 285 nm, which are assigned to the 3P1→1So transition of Pb2+ and host sensitization, respectively. The emission is a broad band covering ultraviolet A and violet region of the spectrum, with a maximum at 395 nm. Luminescence decay was double exponential with components τ1=2.50 and τ2 = 2.93 µs. These results show the versatility of K7CaY2(B5O10)3 composition for providing host sensitized luminescence. This phosphor, emitting at ∼395 nm (nUV/violet), is promising for bioimaging applications.