Preparation and optical properties of SrF2:Eu3+ nanospheres

SrF2:Eu3+ nanospheres with homogeneous diameter have been synthesized by a microemulsion-mediated hydrothermal method for the first time, in which quaternary microemulsion of CTAB/water/cyclohexane/n-pentanol was used. The possible reaction mechanism and the luminescent properties of SrF2:Eu3+ nanospheres were also investigated in this paper. The morphology and grain sizes of final products were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, indicating that most of the products were nanospheres with an average diameter of ∼50 nm. Room-temperature emission spectra, recorded under 394-nm excitation, showed that the transition of 5D0 → 7F1 emission be dominating in SrF2:Eu3+ nanospheres. From the dependence of the luminescence intensity on the concentration of Eu3+ ions, the optimal dopant concentration is 2 mol%.