Polyacrylamide gel synthesis, structure and optical properties of YPO4:Sm3+ nanophosphors

Sm3+ doped YPO4 nanocrystals were successfully synthesized via a polyacrylamide gel route. The crystal structure, particle size, morphology, and optical properties of the as-synthesized products were investigated by XRD, SEM, FT-IR and PL. The results reveal that the as-prepared samples have single xenotime structure with particle sizes about 20 nm. The photoluminescence spectra of Sm3+ doped YPO4 nanophosphors show a characteristic orange-red luminescence of Sm3+ under 405 nm light excitation. Furthermore, the concentration quenching was observed when the Sm3+ doping content was over 2%, and the concentration quenching mechanism was verified as dipole-dipole interaction.