Preparation and luminescent properties of europium-doped yttria fibers by electrospinning

Sub-micrometer-sized fibers of europium-doped yttria (Y2O3:Eu3+) were prepared by electrospinning followed by high-temperature calcinations for the first time. The fibers were with diameters of 200–400 nm and lengths of several 10 μm and cubic in phase. The spectral properties of the Y2O3:Eu3+ fibers were studied, in contrast with those of bulk powders. The results indicated that in the present Y2O3:Eu3+ fibers the excited charge transfer band had slightly blue shift in comparison with that in the bulk due to weaker covalence of Eu–O bonds. In addition, both of the lifetimes of the 5D1 and 5D0 states in the fibers became shorter than that in the bulk due to improved nonradiative transition rates.