Yellow emission of SiO2/Zn2SiO4:Mn nanocomposite synthesized by sol-gel method

Abstract

A two-step sol-gel process was used for the preparation of Mn doped β-Zn2SiO4 nanoparticles embedded in silica host matrix after the incorporation of ZnO:Mn nanoparticles in silica monolith. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the phase purity, particle size and morphology. XRD results indicate that pure phase of β-Zn2SiO4 with triclinic structure was obtained after thermal treatment at 1500 C. However, photoluminescence (PL) technique was investigated for optical study. It was illustrated that the Mn doping content influenced the degree of aggregation and luminescence of the nanocomposite. This manganese doped zinc silica phase in silica host matrix, exhibit yellow emission centred at about 575 nm driven by 4T1 to 6A1 relaxation in Mn 2+. The crystallinity and luminescent property of nanocomposite were investigated. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.