Luminescence properties of Y0.9−xGdxEu0.1Al3(BO3)4 (0⩽x⩽0.9) phosphors prepared by spray pyrolysis process

Starting from metal nitrate aqueous solutions and H3BO3, Y0.9−xGdxEu0.1Al3(BO3)4 (0⩽x⩽0.9) phosphors were synthesized by spray pyrolysis followed by annealing at high temperature. The obtained phosphor particles have spherical morphology with size in the range 0.5–2 μm. Independent of the x values in Y0.9−xGdxEu0.1Al3(BO3)4 (0⩽x⩽0.9) phosphors, the Eu3+ ion shows its characteristic 5D0, 1–7FJ (J=0, 1, 2, 3, 4) transitions with 5D0–7F2 red emission (612 nm) as the most prominent group. The photoluminescence intensity of phosphors increases with the increase of x value in Y0.9−xGdxEu0.1Al3(BO3)4 (0⩽x⩽0.9) due to an energy migration process like Gd3+–(Gd3+)n–Eu3+ that occurred in the host materials.