Controllable electrospinning fabrication of CaLaAl3O7:Tb3+ nanofibers and nanoribbons with tunable morphologies and excellent green luminescence

CaLaAl 3 O 7 :Tb 3+ nanofibers and nanoribbons are firstly prepared by electrospinning. • Nanofibers and nanoribbons exhibit excellent fibrous and ribbon like morphology. • Concentration quenching mechanism of phosphors is quadrupole-quadrupole interaction. • Tunable green luminescence is realized by varying Tb 3+ content and morphologies. • Formative mechanism of CaLaAl 3 O 7 :Tb 3+ nanofibers and nanoribbons are advanced. Tb 3+ -doped CaLaAl 3 O 7 one-dimensional nanostructures, including two typical morphologies of nanofibers and nanoribbons, are controllably constructed for the first time through a synergistic strategy combining uniaxial electrospinning technology and a high-temperature oxidation process. The obtained nanofibers possess a tetragonal crystal structure with the space group P-42 1 m. The CaLaAl 3 O 7 :Tb 3+ one-dimensional nanostructures exhibit excellent fiber and belt-like morphologies. Under 236-nm ultraviolet light excitation, the emission peaks at 381, 414, and 438 nm correspond to the 5 D 3 → 7 F 6 , 5 D 3 → 7 F 5 and 5 D 3 → 7 F 4 energy level transitions of Tb 3+ ions, respectively. The emission peaks at 483, 492, 544, 586, 592, and 622 nm correspond to the 5 D 4 → 7 F 6 , 5 D 4 → 7 F 6 , 5 D 4 → 7 F 5 , 5 D 4 → 7 F 4 , 5 D 4 → 7 F 4 and 5 D 4 → 7 F 3 energy level transitions of Tb 3+ ions, respectively. When the Tb 3+ doping concentration reaches 6%, the luminescence intensity of the nanofibers reaches the peak value. Further increasing the doping concentration induces concentration quenching, causing the luminescence intensity to gradually decrease. When the Tb 3+ doping concentration is 6%, the luminescence intensity is maximized, and excellent green light is emitted. The formation mechanisms of CaLaAl 3 O 7 :Tb 3+ nanofibers and nanoribbons are elucidated, the corresponding preparation processes are established, and the concentration quenching mechanism is clarified. The fluorescence properties of the samples can be tuned by adjusting the Tb 3+ doping concentration and the morphology of the samples. The design concept and preparation process not only open up a new path for the controllable synthesis of aluminate-based one-dimensional luminescent materials, but also provide a methodological reference for the construction of other rare earth ion-doped functional nanomaterials. Download: Download high-res image (235KB) Download: Download full-size image