Chrysanthemum-like K 2 LiAlF 6 :Mn 4+ phosphors were synthesized by simple co-precipitation method without using HF. The K 2 LiAlF 6 :Mn 4+ phosphor can be effectively excited through blue light at 465 nm, then produces sharp red-light emission near 634 nm. The luminescence quenching of Mn 4+ is caused by the d-d interaction between Mn 4+ ions. The effects of surfactant and lithium source on the luminescent properties of K 2 LiAlF 6 :Mn 4+ phosphors were discussed. Mn 4+ is located in a strong crystal field environment in the K 2 LiAlF 6 matrix and its emission mechanism is discussed. Warm white light emitting diode (WLED) device, which is fabricated by coating a certain proportion mixture of yellow YAG:Ce 3+ phosphor and red K 2 LiAlF 6 :5%Mn 4+ phosphor on the blue GaN chip, has low correlation color temperature (CCT = 3588 K), high color rendering index (R a = 90.8) and good electroluminescence stability under different currents. These properties illustrate that K 2 LiAlF 6 :5%Mn 4+ phosphor is a promising red light emitting material.
Red phosphor K 2 LiAlF 6 :Mn 4+ has been synthesized by a cation-exchange method in HF solution. To optimize their optical properties, phosphors were synthesized using different reaction conditions. The K 2 LiAlF 6 :0.5%Mn 4+ synthesized at 20°C for 4 h shows the highest luminescence intensity. The temperature-dependent emission intensity of the phosphor was investigated, and it was found to exhibit good thermal stability, making it a promising red phosphor candidate for warm WLEDs.