Synthesis and characterization of single crystalline YAG:Eu nano-sized powder by sol–gel method

Starting from nitrate and sulphate aqueous solutions with citric acid and ethylene glycol (EG) as additives, nano-sized monocrystalline Y3Al5O12:Eu (YAG:Eu) phosphor particles were prepared by a simple sol–gel route. The structure of the materials was analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), showing the cubic garnet phase of YAG. The crystalline YAG:Eu phosphors showed broad emission peaks in the range 445–508 nm. We studied the effect of heat-treatment on the emission intensity of photoluminescence (PL). The Eu2+ concentration effect was also studied.