Ultraviolet-A persistent luminescence and photocatalytic application of Y3Ga3MgSiO12:Bi3+ phosphor

Ultraviolet-A persistent luminescence (UVA PersL) materials have attracted considerable attention due to their extensive potential in applications such as photodynamic therapy, photocatalysis, and sterilization. Herein, we report a novel UVA PersL phosphor Y₃Ga₃MgSiO₁₂:Bi³⁺ (YGMSO:Bi³⁺) with continuous photocatalytic capabilities. The PersL duration of the YGMSO:0.005Bi³⁺ sample can exceed 8 h after excitation with 254 nm UV light, and the UVA PersL emission peak is located at 324 nm. Specifically, we investigated the distribution and depth of traps using thermoluminescence curves and further demonstrated that oxygen vacancy is the main defect type responsible for producing PersL by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. On this basis, the PersL mechanism of YGMSO:Bi³⁺ is established. Furthermore, considering that the UVA PersL spectrum of YGMSO:Bi³⁺ aligns with the absorption band of TiO₂, we synthesized YGMSO:Bi³⁺/TiO₂ composite for methylene blue degradation experiments. The experimental results indicate that the material can serve as a continuous excitation source for TiO₂, facilitating its application in continuous photocatalysis. Overall, the developed UVA PersL material YGMSO:Bi³⁺ offers valuable insights for the design of UVA light sources for photocatalytic applications.