Structural and thermal insights into the luminescent behavior of Dy3+-Doped BaZrO3 with alkali metal codopants under UV radiation
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This study investigates the structural, thermal, and photoluminescent properties of Dy3+-doped BaZrO3 (BZO) perovskites, synthesized via a co-precipitation method, incorporating alkali metal codopants (Li+, Na+, and K+). Xray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the retention of the cubic perovskite phase following doping, with Rietveld refinement further revealing minor lattice distortions due to Dy3+incorporation. The Williamson-Hall (W-H) analysis revealed average crystallite sizes of 53 nm and 66 nm for undoped and 0.01 Dy3+-doped BaZrO3, respectively, with corresponding micro-strain values of 1.79 x 10-3 and 1.81 x 10-3, suggesting lattice distortions due to incorporation of Dy3+. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the cubic perovskite structure and subtle structural modifications upon doping. Notably, the absence of moisture-related peaks highlights the effectiveness of the synthesis process, including rigorous drying and calcination steps that prevented hydrous species. Photoluminescence (PL) analysis of Dy3+-doped BaZrO3 exhibited three prominent emission peaks at 452 nm, 573 nm, and 656 nm under 368 nm excitation. These peaks correspond to the characteristic intra-4f electronic transitions of Dy3+ ions, specifically, 4I13/2 to 6H15/2, 4F9/2 to 6H13/2, and 4F9/2 to 6H11/2, representing blue, yellow, and red emissions, respectively. Photoluminescence decay studies showed multi-exponential behavior, with the average lifetime decreasing from 641 mu s in undoped BZO to 492 mu s in Dy3+- doped samples attributed to enhanced non-radiative recombination pathways. Among the codopants, Li+ demonstrated the most significant improvement in luminescence intensity and thermal stability by mitigating defects and optimizing charge compensation.