Influence of carbon templates and Yb3+ concentration on red and green luminescence of uniform Y2O3:Yb/Er hollow microspheres

Uniform Yb3+ and Er3+-codoped Y2O3 hollow microspheres were synthesized via urea co-precipitation using carbon spheres as templates. Intense red emission (4F9/2→4I15/2) and weak green emission (2H11/2, 4S3/2→4I15/2) of Er3+ were observed for the Yb3+ and Er3+-codoped Y2O3 hollow microspheres under 980 nm infrared excitation. The integrated intensity of visible emission and the ratio of red to green were found to be strongly dependent on the amount of carbon sphere templates and the concentration of Yb3+ ions. The amount of carbon sphere templates also plays an important role in adjusting the size of crystallite. Multi-phonon relaxation resulted from the absorbents (OH− and CO32−) on the surface of the crystallite, and efficient occur of energy transfer processes and cross-relaxation between Er3+ and Yb3+ are responsible for the enhancement of intensity ratio of red to green emission. Interestingly, for higher concentration of Yb3+ ions, the green emission is assigned to a three-phonon process in Y2O3:Yb/Er hollow microspheres, which also could result in the increase of the red to green emission ratio. An explanation to account for these behaviors was presented.