Luminescence and UV up-conversion properties of glasses doped with Pr3+ ions

DOI: 10.62564/M4-OB1536

Olha Bezkrovna^1,2, Radosław Lisiecki¹, Bogusław Macalik¹, Przemysław J. Dereń<sup>1

1</sup>Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
²Institute for Single Crystals, NAS of Ukraine


The relevance of the synthesis of materials that emit effectively in the UV region of the spectrum is due to the need to create self-sterilizing surfaces without the use of ultraviolet lamps [1]. Materials and surfaces created on their basis that have the ability to absorb photons of ambient or sunlight and next convert them into photons of the bactericidal range of the spectrum (220-280 nm) can contribute to a constant reduction in the content of adsorbed microbes. Pr3+ ions have an advantage as activator ions for creating such materials, since they effectively luminesce in a wide range of wavelengths, including in the UV-C region (200-280 nm) [2]. Vis-to-UV up-conversion (UC) of Pr3+ ions corresponds to the absorption of blue or violet light (430-490 nm region) through 3H4 → 3PJ transitions with followed by the UC of the excitation energy [3]. In addition, Pr3+ ions as an activator can produce greenish-blue or red emission due to its excited energy levels 3P0 or 1D2 . We chose a stable glass-based SrO-CaO-MgO-SiO 2 for doping of Pr 3+ ions. Luminescence in a wide spectral range, absorption, and excitation of luminescence were measured and the luminescence lifetimes were estimated. We obtained up-conversion luminescent radiation in the ultraviolet region in the SCMS:Pr3+ glass upon excitations at 444 nm. The up-converted luminescence spectrum of Pr 3+ -doped glass was in the 230-330 UV spectral region with the maximum at 275 nm. Intense luminescence of Pr3+ ions in the glasses studied was also observed in the visible and near-IR regions. It was found that significant non-radiative energy transfer occurs between Pr3+ ions, especially in glasses containing higher concentrations of luminescent ions. Synthesized glasses can be suitable as solid state materials for a variety of photonic applications, including the development of UV self-sterilizing surfaces.

Keywords
glasses, up conversion, luminescence, praseodymium ions

Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Science Centre, Poland, under grant number DEC-2021/41/B/ST5/03792 entitled: Phosphors for UVC LEDs: Self-Disinfecting Surfaces.

References
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