The luminescence properties of Sr 2-1.5x-1.5y P 2 O 7 :xDy 3+ ,yCe 3+ phosphor for near-UV-based white LEDs synthesized by a chemical co-precipitation method.

A series of Sr2 P2 O7 :Dy3+ , Sr2 P2 O7 :Ce3+ and Sr2 P2 O7 :Dy3+ ,Ce3+ phosphors was synthesized via the one-step calcination process for the precursors prepared by co-precipitation methods. The phases, morphology, quantum efficiency and photoluminescence properties of the obtained phosphors were characterized systematically. These results show that the near-spherical particles prepared through calcining the precursors by means of ammonium dibasic phosphate co-precipitation (method 3) have the smallest particle size and strongest emission intensity among the three methods in the paper. With Dy3+ concentration increasing in Sr2 P2 O7 :Dy3+ phosphors, the luminescence intensity first increases, reaches maximum, and then decreases. A similar trend was followed by Sr2 P2 O7 :Ce3+ with Ce3+ concentration increasing. A successful attempt was made to initiate the energy transfer mechanism from Ce3+ to Dy3+ in the host lattice and an overlap between the emission band of Ce3+ and the excitation band of Dy3+ indicated that the Ce3+  → Dy3+ energy transfer may indeed exist. It is clear that the photoluminescence intensity of Dy3+ as well as the quantum efficiency of the phosphor can be enhanced markedly by co-doping Ce3+ . Sr2 P2 O7 :Dy3+ ,Ce3+ has its (CIE) chromaticity coordinates in the bluish-white-light region, near the standard illuminant D65 . The CIE 1913 chromaticity coordinates of Sr2 P2 O7 :Dy3+ phosphors fall in the white-light region, and are adjacent to the ideal white-light coordinates. In addition, the colour temperature and colour tone of Sr2 P2 O7 :Dy3+ could be adjusted by changing the relative concentration of Dy3+ . In short, Sr2 P2 O7 :Dy3+ can be a promising single-phased white-light emitting phosphor for near-UV (NUV) w-LEDs.