Dispersity and Surface Characterization of Yttrium Vanadate and Phosphate Based Luminescent Phosphors

Abstract

The surface properties of Eu(III)-activated yttrium vanadate, yttrium phosphate and mixed yttrium vanadate-phosphate phosphors with different europium content synthesized via self-propagating high temperature synthesis are studied by low temperature nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy, aqueous slurry pH measurements and adsorption of acid-base indicators. Among the materials synthesized under similar conditions, phosphate based phosphors possess with a significantly more acidic surface (due to the presence of Lewis acidic centers probably corresponding to phosphorous atoms) and coarse dispersity compared with vanadate analogs, while mixed vanadate-phosphate compounds feature with the most fine dispersity.