Hydrothermal preparation and photoluminescent properties of MgAl2O4: Eu3+ spinel nanocrystals

Nanoplates of the MgAl2O4 spinel doped with Eu3+ ions were prepared by a microwave assisted hydrothermal method. Structural properties of the precursor calcined at 700 and 1000 oC powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). According to the obtained XRD patterns the formation of single-phase spinels after calcination was confirmed. The average spinel particle size was determined to be 11 nm after calcination at 700 °C and it increased up to 14 nm after calcination at 1000 °C. The photoluminescent properties of prepared powders with different Eu3+ ion concentrations (0–5% mol) were investigated using excitation and emission spectroscopy at room and low temperatures (77 K).