Photoluminescence properties of a new orange–red‐emitting Sm3+–La3SbO7 phosphor

The antimonate compound La₃SbO₇ has high chemical stability, lattice stiffness and thermal stability. Orange–red‐emitting antimonate‐based phosphors La₃SbO₇:xSm³⁺ (x = 0.02, 0.05, 0.08, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25) were synthesized. The phase structure and photoluminescence properties of these phosphors were investigated. The emission spectrum obtained on excitation at 407 nm contained exclusively the characteristic emissions of Sm³⁺ at 568, 608, 654 and 716 nm, which correspond to the transitions from ⁴G_5/2 to ⁶H_5/2, ⁶H_7/2, ⁶H_9/2 and ⁶H_11/2 of Sm³⁺, respectively. The strongest emission was located at 608 nm due to the ⁴G_5/2→⁶H_7/2 transition of Sm³⁺, generating bright orange–red light. The critical quenching concentration of Sm³⁺ in La₃SbO₇:Sm³⁺ phosphor was determined as 10% and the energy transfer between Sm³⁺ was found to be through an exchange interaction. The International Commission on Illumination chromaticity coordinates of the La₃SbO₇:0.10Sm³⁺ phosphors are located in the orange–red region. The La₃SbO₇:Sm³⁺ phosphors may be potentially used as red phosphors for white light‐emitting diodes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.