White-light-emitting Eu2+ and Mn2+-codoped silicate phosphors synthesized through combustion process

The Ba3MgSi2O8:Eu2+, Mn2+ phosphors are synthesized through combustion process with varying mixture ratio of citric acid and ethylene glycol used as a fuel to the used precursors. They have the mean particle size of 200 nm and the spherical shape. The Ba3MgSi2O8:Eu2+, Mn2+ phosphors show three emission colors: the blue color of 433 nm from Eu2+(I) substituted by Ba2+(I) site, the green color of 500 nm from Eu2+(II, III) substituted by Ba2+(II, III) site, the red color of 610 nm from Mn2+(I, II, III). Compared with a solid-state method-prepared sample, the emission peaks of three emission bands are shifted to about 10 nm towards the shorter wavelength. This blue shift is explained by quantum size effect. The relative intensity ratios of the green band to the blue band are significantly increased as the increasing amount of fuel suggesting that Eu2+ ions in our sample preferably occupy Ba2+(II, III) sites related to the green emissions.