Preparation and characterization of fine Sr2CeO4 blue phosphor powders

A simple polymer sol–gel route involving PEG-2000 was employed to prepare fine Sr2CeO4 blue phosphor powders which were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy images, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and luminescent measurements. The as-prepared Sr2CeO4 powders consist of homogeneous particles with uniform crotch-like morphology. The luminescent measurements showed that the smaller Sr2CeO4 particles gave stronger emission intensity than the larger particles. XPS spectra revealed no existence of Ce3+ ions on the surface of Sr2CeO4 particles.