Hydrothermal Synthesis and Luminescent Properties of (Sr, Ba)F2:Eu3+ Nanostructures

SrF2:Eu3+ and BaF2 compounds with different morphologies, such as nanoparticles, nanodisks and microwhiskers, have been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method with quaternary microemulsion using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and photoluminescence spectra (PL) were used to characterize the samples. The as-prepared SrF2:Eu3+ sample exhibits orange-red emission centered at 590 nm under 394-nm excitation. The experimental results indicate that reaction time and barium source play a key role in forming the nano/microstructure. The formation mechanism was proposed based on the evolution of the morphologies as a function of hydrothermal time. The as-synthesized SrF2:Eu3+ and BaF2 nano/microstructures might find some potential applications in areas of photoluminescence, telecommunications, and laser emission.