A Comparative Study on Luminescence Properties of Y2O3: Pr3+ Nanocrystals Prepared by Different Synthesis Methods

Pr3+-doped Y2O3 nanocrystals (NCs) have been obtained via five wet-chemistry synthesis methods which were optimized in order to achieve superior optical properties. To this end, a systematic study on the influence of different reaction parameters was performed for each procedure. Specifically, precursor concentration, reaction temperature, calcination temperature, and time, among others, were analyzed. The synthesized Y2O3: Pr3+ NCs were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and reflectance and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the optical properties of such NCs were investigated by excitation, emission, and luminescence decay measurements. Concretely, emission from the 1D2 level was detected in all samples, while emission from 3PJ was absent. Finally, the effect of the synthesis methods and the reaction conditions on the luminescence decay has been discussed, and a comparative study of the different methods using the fluorescence lifetime of so-obtained Y2O3: Pr3+ NCs as a figure of merit has been carried out.