BaMoO4:Tb3+ phosphor properties: Synthesis, characterization and photophysical studies

BaMoO4:Tb3+ powders were synthesized by the complex polymerization (CP) method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), Fourier transform infra-Red (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy as well as photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The results confirmed the presence of a crystalline scheelite-type phase in BaMoO4:Tb3+crystalline powers. Excitation spectra, λem. = 543 nm revealed the predominance of a broad band of charge transfer that was ascribed to the absorption of [MoO4]2- ionic tetragonal clusters. Emission spectra of BaMoO4:Tb3+ samples (λex. = 294 nm) have a group of sharp emission bands (456–487 nm; 543–546 nm; 581–589 nm and 617–620 nm) assigned to the 5D4 → 7 F6, 5D4 → 7 F5, 5D4 → 7 F4 and 5D4 → 7 F3 transitions of Tb3+ ions, respectively. The samples show the exponential decay curves of 5D4 → 7 F5 transition, λexc. = 294 nm and λem. = 543 nm, where the greater decay time was evaluated as 1.07 ms for the BaMoO4:Tb3+ annealed at 900 °C.