Mechanoluminescence of Dy doped strontium aluminate nanophosphors

Nanosized strontium aluminate phosphors activated with Dy3+ were prepared by a combustion method. Nanophosphor was prepared by this method at reaction temperatures as low as 600 °C. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope analysis was used to characterize the prepared product. The monoclinic phase was observed in the XRD pattern. The particle size of the samples was calculated around 35 nm. The SEM images show irregular shape of the prepared nanophosphor. Two peaks were found in the mechanoluminescence (ML) response curve plotted between time and ML intensity. The H3BO3 added strontium aluminate phosphors activated with Dy show more bright ML peak as compared to the powders of SrAl2O4:Dy3+ without H3BO3. It was found that the PL and ML intensity increases with increasing concentration of Dy, it becomes maximum for 3% of Dy. The photoluminescence emission shows two intense fluorescence transitions peaks at 498 nm and 583 nm, 4F9/2→6H15/2 in the blue and 4F9/2→6H13/2 in the yellow-orange wavelength region.