Tb3+ photoluminescence in mesoporous glasses, terbium nitrate and terbium chloride hexahydrates, and coordination compounds

Abstract

We have compared the intensity and shape of photoluminescence spectra of Tb³⁺ ions in mesoporous glasses, inorganic phosphors (terbium nitrate and terbium chloride hexahydrates), and coordination compounds (terbium benzoate, terbium o-phenoxybenzoate, and terbium terephthalate). The excitation sources used were a repetitively pulsed nitrogen laser with an emission wavelength of 337 nm and cw semiconductor light-emitting diodes with wavelengths of 369 and 385 nm. It has been shown that the highest photoluminescence intensity normalized by the percentage of terbium is offered by terbium terephthalate and terbium- doped mesoporous glass. We are thus led to conclude that introducing terbium terephthalate into the pores of mesoporous photonic glass and mesoporous photonic crystals is a promising approach for obtaining efficient laser operation in the green spectral region on the ⁵D₄–7F₅ transition of the terbium ion.