Lanthanide-doped gallium nano-garnets: structure and luminescence

The lanthanide (Ln3+) ion doped inorganic materials are an important class of luminescent materials for applications in solid-state lasers, light converters, temperature and pressure sensors, phosphors for solid state lighting, display devices, bio-imaging, photovoltaic, photocatalysis, etc. The single crystals doped with Ln3+ ions are well known, but their preparation is time-consuming and also sophisticated equipment is needed. The solid-state reaction method is simpler to produce powders with micrometer size by pulverization with shortcomings of formation of a surface dead layer, thereby lowering the luminescence efficiency. The facile techniques to synthesize the crystals directly in the nanometer regime have eliminated the need for such practices and have inspired a wealth of new possibilities. Hence, it stimulates an interest to synthesize Ln3+ doped A3Ga5O12 (A = Gd, Y, and Lu) nano-garnets by low cost and environmentally benign method. The development of nano-luminescent materials for a specific application requires the detailed investigations on structural, morphological, vibrational, and luminescence properties, here studied all these properties.