Nanosized strontium aluminate phosphors prepared via a reverse microemulsion route

Nanosized strontium aluminate phosphors co-activated by Eu2+ and Dy3+ were prepared via a novel reverse microemulsion process. This new ynthesis technique lowered the synthesis temperature of SrAl2O4: Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors to as low as 900 ◦C, and also reduced the particle size o the nanometer scale (around 40 nm). In the microemulsion process, the constituent cations were trapped by numerous nano-scaled micelles, eading to a shortening of the inter-diffusion length and enhancement of the precursor reactivity. The excitation intensity and emission peaks of anosized SrAl2O4: Eu2+, Dy3+ phosphors significantly increased with increasing heating temperatures. 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.