Insight into a Eu2+-activated zirconium-silicate yellow phosphor for multifunctional applications

To better meet the needs of modern science and technology for new inorganic functional materials , the exploration of new Eu 2+ -doped phosphors is of great significance. In this work, a zirconium-silicate yellow phosphor, K 2 ZrSiO 5 :Eu 2+ , was explored through theoretical calculations and systematic experiments for use in multifunctional applications. The crystal structure, electronic structure, photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) properties of K 2 ZrSiO 5 :Eu 2+ were investigated in detail. As a result, owing to the open framework and the lattice with the covalent connection, K 2 ZrSiO 5 :Eu 2+ phosphor exhibits strong yellow light emission under the near-ultraviolet and electron beam excitation. However, the K 2 ZrSiO 5 :Eu 2+ phosphor suffers a poor thermal stability. Furthermore, the K 2 ZrSiO 5 :Eu 2+ phosphor exhibits good anti-saturation and anti-aging characteristics under the electron beam excitation. The results indicate that the development of K 2 ZrSiO 5 :Eu 2+ phosphor can provide a new insight into discovering multifunctional materials.