Synthesis of Y2Si2O7:Eu nanocrystal and its optical properties

Nanocrystalline Y2Si2O7:Eu phosphor with an average size about 60 nm is easily prepared using silica aerogel as raw material under ultrasonic irradiation and annealing temperature at 300–600 °C and this nanocrystalline decomposes into Y2O3:Eu and silica by heat treatment at 700–900 °C. The excitation broad band centered at 283 and 254 nm results from Eu3+ substituting for Y3+ in Y2Si2O7 and Y2O3/SiO2, respectively. Compared with Y2O3:Eu/SiO2 crystalline, the PL excitation and emission peaks of Y2Si2O7:Eu nanocrystalline red-shift and lead to the enhance of its luminescence intensity due to the different chemical surroundings of Eu3+ in above nanocrystallines. The decrease of PL intensity may be ascribed to quenching effect resulting from more defects in Y2O3:Eu/SiO2 crystalline.