Ultra-broadband near-infrared phosphor Li3Sc2(PO4)3:Cr3+ realized by two-sites occupation

The near-infrared phosphor converted light-emitting diodes (NIR pc-LEDs) have been broadly used in the fields of night vision, biomedicine, nondestructive testing and food analysis. Over the past few years, many Cr 3+ doped NIR phosphorus has been reported. However, the realization of ultra-broad band NIR emission with high quantum efficiency remains a great challenge. Here, we report an ultra-broadband NIR emitting phosphor Li 3 Sc 1.92 (PO 4 ) 3 :0.08Cr 3+ with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 240 nm. The reason for the ultra-broad emission band is that the host Li 3 Sc 2 (PO 4 ) 3 provides two different kinds of ScO6 octahedral sites for Cr 3+ ions to occupy. This FWHM is better than most NIR emitting phosphors reported so far. Our research indicates that Li 3 Sc 2 (PO 4 ) 3 :Cr 3+ phosphors have great potential in night vision and NIR spectroscopy. • The emission band of the LSP: 0.08 Cr 3+ contained a broad emission covering the 750–1350 nm region. • The LSP: 0.08 Cr 3+ has a FWHM of 240 nm. • The Ultra-broadband near-infrared emission is realized by two-sites occupation. • Li 3 Sc 2 (PO 4 ) 3 : x Cr 3+ can be used on night vision and near-infrared spectroscopy.