Preparation and luminescence properties of Eu3+ doped oxyfluoride borosilicate glass ceramics

Oxyfluoride borosilicate glass with the molar composition of 60SiO2-15B2O3-15Na2O-8CaF2-2NaF-0.25Eu2O3 was synthesized by a traditional glass melting method. Glass ceramics containing CaF2 nanocrystals were prepared by heat treating the glass samples at a temperature in the range of 620–680 °C. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the average crystallite size and the lattice constant of CaF2 nanocrystals increased with the heat treatment temperature increasing. The luminescence spectra showed that the emission intensity of Eu3+ doped glass ceramics was stronger than that of the glass matrix, and increased with the heat treatment temperature increasing. The left edge of excitation band shifted to shorter wavelength in the glass ceramics. The local environments of Eu3+ ions in the glass and glass ceramics were different.