Tshabalala, K. G. Cho, S. -H. Park, J. -K. Pitale, Shreyas S. Nagpure, I. M. Kroon, R. E. Swart, H. C. Ntwaeaborwa, O. M. 2024-01-20T16:03:36Z 2024-01-20T16:03:36Z 2021-09-05 2011-10-13 0925-8388 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/129890 Cerium (Ce3+)- and terbium (Tb3+) co-doped zinc aluminate (ZnAl2O4) nanocrystals were successfully prepared by a combustion method using urea as fuel. The as-prepared samples were annealed in hydrogen atmosphere to improve their optical properties and crystallinity. The structure and morphology of the samples analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) showed that ZnAl2O4 crystallized in a well known cubic spinel structure. As deduced from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data, there was partial inversion of cations in as-prepared (unannealed) samples implying that the ZnAl2O4 did not crystallize in a cubic normal spinel. Instead, the XPS data demonstrated possible structural readjustment from inverse to normal spinel after annealing. The excitation and emission data collected when ZnAl2O4:Ce3+, Tb3+ samples, with different concentrations of Ce3+ and Tb3+ ions, were excited at different wavelengths showed that green emission of Tb3+ was sensitized by Ce3+, i.e. there was energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ resulting in improvement of green emission from Tb3+. This study therefore, sets out to discuss the sensitizing effect of Ce3+ and the effect of annealing on the structure of ZnAl2O4:Ce3+, Tb3+. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. English ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA THIN-FILM ZNAL2O4 NANOCRYSTALLINE SPINEL SCINTILLATION EU3+ Luminescent properties and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of ZnAl2O4:Ce3+,Tb3+ phosphor Article 10.1016/j.jallcom.2011.08.054 1 JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS, v.509, no.41, pp.10115 - 10120 JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS 509 41 10115 10120 scie scopus 000295978500067 2-s2.0-80052961836 Chemistry, Physical Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering Chemistry Materials Science Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering Article THIN-FILM ZNAL2O4 NANOCRYSTALLINE SPINEL SCINTILLATION EU3+ Spinel Crystallite size Photoluminescence Excitation