Blue emitting BaMgAl10O17:Eu with a blue body color

The optical properties of Co2+-doped BaMgAl10O17 (BAM) and BaMgAl10O17:Eu (BAM:Eu) are elucidated with emphasis on reflection, (V)UV excitation and luminescence spectra. Doping of BAM with Co2+ yields a powder with a blue body color equal to that of CoAl2O4. Co2+ is incorporated into the spinel blocks of BAM, which are spaced by Ba–O layers hosting the activator Eu2+. By means of reflection spectra it is shown that the local environment of Co2+ is equal to that in CoAl2O4, which is responsible for the identical body color.