Understanding the structural and optical evolution of Eu3+ and Dy3+ co-doped YVO4 phosphors across concentration series for lighting applications

Abstract

YVO4 nanoparticles co-doped with Eu3+ and Dy3+ ions were successfully synthesized using a conventional coprecipitation method. The resulting phosphors exhibited a single-phase trigonal YVO4 structure, with nanoparticles averaging approximately 60 nm in size, obtained by measurements carried out with scanning electron microscope images. UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy analysis reveals that the direct band gaps of our samples fall within the range of 3.6–3.75 eV. After a thorough analysis, the optimal doping concentration was identified as 2 at% Eu3+ and 2 at% Dy3+ ions co-doping, exhibiting the strongest up-conversion emission intensity under 310 nm excitation. YVO4:x (Eu3+, Dy3+) phosphors exhibit distinct bands corresponding to transitions of Dy3+ and Eu3+ ions from their 4F9/2 and 5D0 excited states, respectively. The energy transfer from Dy3+ to Eu3+ is validated through electric dipole–dipole interaction, with a critical distance of 15.63 A. YVO4 nanoparticles codoped with Eu3+ and Dy3+ ions exhibit wide-range control over their photoluminescence color by regulating the concentration of both dopants. These findings suggest great potential for applications in current industrial settings.