A novel single-composition tunable color emission KSrY(PO4)2:Ce3+, Tb3+, Mn2+ phosphor based on energy transfer

A novel single-composition white-emitting phosphor KSrY(PO4)2:Ce3+, Tb3+, Mn2+ has been synthesized by a high-temperature solid-state reaction. The spectral overlap between the emission band of Ce3+ and the excitation band of Mn2+ supported the occurrence of the energy transfer from Ce3+ to Mn2+, and demonstrated to be the dipole–dipole interaction. The energy transfer efficiency (Ce3+ → Mn2+) obtained by decay curves was consistent with the result calculated by the emission intensity, which gradually increased from 14.5% to 65.8% by increasing the Mn2+ doping content from 0.02 to 0.36. The mechanism of transferring energy from Ce3+ to Tb3+ and Ce3+ to Mn2+ was also discussed in this study. A single composition white-light emitting phosphor KSr0.94Y0.98(PO4)2:0.01Ce3+, 0.01Tb3+, 0.06Mn2+, which shows correlated color temperature of 5110 K, color rendering index of 46, and color coordinates of (0.341, 0.337), was obtained. The results indicate that the KSrY(PO4)2:Ce3+, Tb3+, Mn2+ phosphors have potential applications as an ultraviolet-convertible phosphor.