Preparation of Er3+, Ho3+, Yb3+-doped Bi2WO6 upconversion luminescent materials and their temperature sensing properties

A high-temperature solid-phase method was used to prepare codoped Bi2WO6 upconversion luminescent materials with different concentrations of Er3+, Ho3+, and Yb3+. The microstructure, upconversion luminescence and temperature sensing properties of the synthesized powders were analyzed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the doping of Er3+, Ho3+, and Yb3+ did not affect the orthorhombic crystal structure of the Bi2WO6 matrix material. As the calcination temperature increased from 800 degrees C to 1000 degrees C for 3h, the average particle sizes of the 1% Er3+, 1% Ho3+, 1% Yb3+: Bi2WO6 samples decreased, and the luminescence weakened. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the morphology of the sample for 1% Er3+, 1% Ho3+, 1% Yb3+: Bi2WO6 with calcination at 800 degrees C was nearly spherical, with particle sizes ranging from 1 to 5 mu m and some agglomeration. SEM mapping showed that the elements were more uniformly distributed on the surfaces of the sample particles, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis showed that each element was distributed with in the particles. Er3+, Ho3+, and Yb3+ codoping was used to regulate the Yb3+ doping concentration, and under 980 nm excitation, the strongest upconversion emission was obtained for the prepared 1% Er3+, 1% Ho3+, 1% Yb3+ samples. Compared with that for the Er3+, Yb3+-doped Bi2WO6 sample, the luminescence intensity of the characteristic emission peak of Er3+ at 525 nm for the Er3+, Ho3+, Yb3+-doped sample was weakened, while the luminescence of the characteristic emission peak of Ho3+ was enhanced; these results indicated that energy transfer from Er3+ to Ho3+ occurred. The intensities of the four emission peaks at 525 nm, 546 nm, 660 nm, and 756 nm in the 1% Er3+, 1% Ho3+, 1% Yb3+-doped Bi2WO6 sample increased with increasing excitation pump power from 45 mW to 233 mW. Based on the relationship between the excitation pump power and the emission intensity, all four luminescence peaks originated from two-photon absorption. The fluorescence intensity ratio versus temperature was fitted using three different nonthermally coupled energy level pairs in the range from 298 K to 573 K. The maximum absolute temperature sensitivity of 0.296 K-1 was obtained at 573 K for the Ho3+ nonthermally coupled energy level pair, and the maximum relative temperature sensitivity of 0.279 K-1 was obtained at 298 K. The temperature resolution for characterization using the above nonthermally coupled energy level pairs was calculated, with the temperature resolution delta T yielding a minimum value of 0.03 K. The CIE color coordinates at different temperatures were calculated, and the color coordinates gradually moved from the green region to the red region.