Critical view on luminescence properties of Y2O3:Eu3+ after dispersion in SiO2

Improvement of luminescence intensity of material by core–shell formation or dispersion in another matrix was reported in literature. In this direction, we have prepared Y2O3:Eu3+ particles dispersed in SiO2. However, their luminescence intensities are less than Y2O3:Eu3+ due to non-radiative process arising from association of amorphous silica and Si–O–H. Variation of luminescence intensity is described in terms of site symmetry, heat-treatment effect and surrounding medium. Intensity of electric dipole transition is more than that of magnetic dipole transition for samples heated up to 1100 °C. For higher heated sample at 1300 °C, the opposite effect is found. This is explained on the formation of new triclinic phase α-Y2Si2O7.