Long-lasting luminescence in ZnGa2O4: Cr3+ through persistent energy transfer

摘要

Cr3+-doped zinc gallate (ZnGa2O4) near-infrared (NIR) phosphors were synthesized via a high temperature solid state method. The luminescence properties of the phosphors were studied systematically. A significant spectra overlap between the emission of ZnGa2O4 and the absorption of Cr3+ was observed and 300 nm excitation exhibited the most excellent long-lasting luminescence properties among the three main excitation bands. Luminescence intensity was changed with the ratio of Ga3+/Cr3+ and the blue host emission of ZnGa2O4 was suppressed when doping Cr3+ into ZnGa2O4. The fluorescence decay curves of blue emission of ZnGa2O4 with different Cr3+ doping concentrations indicated that the lifetime of ZnGa2O4 at 505 nm become shorter with the increase of the Cr3+ concentration. Herein, a possible mechanism of long-lasting luminescence in ZnGa2O4: Cr3+ was proposed that the NIR long-lasting luminescence in ZnGa2O4: Cr3+ comes from the persistent energy transfer from ZnGa2O4 to Cr3+.