Roomerature fabrication of nanocrystalline CePO4:Tb3+ films by SILAR method and their luminescence-switching properties

Abstract

A method was developed to fabricate luminescent films at around room temperature based on successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). Nanocrystalline CePO4:Tb3+ films were deposited on bare or surface-modified silica glass substrates through immersion in cation (Ce3+ and Tb3+) and anion (PO4 3) solutions successively. Experimental conditions for the successful deposition of the films were explored to obtain better luminescent properties related to redox sensibility. The intensity of photoluminescence from CePO4:Tb3+ was increased linearly with increasing the number of SILAR cycles. Sensibility of the nanocrystalline CePO4:Tb3+ films against the oxidation by KMnO4 and the reduction by L(+)-ascorbic acid in aqueous solutions was proved to be superior to that of a dense and flat CePO4:Tb3+ film fabricated by a common solgel dip-coating method.