Effects of silver nanoparticles on enhancement of luminescence properties for BCNO phosphors with red emission

Boron carbon oxynitride (BCNO) phosphors with red emission were synthesized with solid phase method, and Ag nanoparticles were successfully used to improve the luminescence properties and quantum yields of BCNO phosphors. The spherical Ag nanoparticles with 10–30 nm were distributed evenly on the surface of BCNO phosphors with hexagonal structure. The silver (Ag) nanoparticles did not change the types of chemical bonding status of BCNO while affecting the intensity of some chemical bonds. The Ag nanoparticles can increase the excitation and emission intensity of BCNO phosphors, and the quantum yields of red emission can be improved about 8.4 times. The luminescence enhancement of BCNO phosphors was owing to the localized surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles and electron transition process between Ag and BCNO phosphors. The effects of Ag nanoparticles on band structure and electron transition process for BCNO phosphors were clarified via theoretical calculation and experimental results.