Multicolor barium molybdate phosphors doped with Re3+ (Re = Eu, Sm, Tb, Dy) via solid-state method: Synthesis and characterizations

Barium molybdate (BMO) powders doped with Re3+ (Eu, Sm, Tb, Dy) were successfully synthesized by the solid-state reaction with the assistance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The effects of the reaction conditions and activator ions on the structural and luminescence properties of BMO were extensively investigated. The results of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra exhibited the structures of the phosphors, which demonstrate that the Eu3+ have been effectively doped into the BaMoO4 (BMO) lattice. The factors of PVA amount, Eu3+-doped concentration and different dopants on phosphor samples were investigated via photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The as-synthesized samples degrade as a two-step degradation by thermogravimetric analysis. BMO phosphors show strong multicolor emission with different dopant RE3+ ions: red-orange (Eu3+), red (Sm3+), green (Tb3+) and green-yellow (Dy3+) under ultraviolet excitation, which may find potential applications in light phosphor powders, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and device in photochemical field.