Energy transfer and temperature sensing properties of Dy3+-doped Gd10V2O20 phosphors

• Series of Dy 3+ -doped Gd 10 V 2 O 20 phosphors were firstly synthesized. • Energy transfer mechanism from the vanadate group to Dy 3+ ions was investigated. • Gd 10 V 2 O 20 :Dy 3+ exhibits three emission bands in blue-yellow-red regions. • The efficient energy transfer occurs from the vanadate group to the Dy 3+ ions in Gd 10 V 2 O 20 :Dy 3+ . • Dy 3+ -doped Gd 10 V 2 O 20 phosphors have potential application in white-emitting and temperature sensing. A series of Dy 3+ -doped Gd 10 V 2 O 20 phosphors were successfully prepared by the solid-state reaction method. Luminescence properties including the energy transfer process between vanadate group VO 4 3- and Dy 3+ were investigated. The Gd 10 V 2 O 20 :Dy 3+ phosphor displays three emission bands at 482, 572 and 663 nm, which are originated from the 4 F 9/2 → 6 H 15/2 , 4 F 9/2 → 6 H 13/2 and 4 F 9/2 → 6 H 11/2 transitions of Dy 3+ . The efficient energy transfer occurs from vanadate group VO 4 3- to Dy 3+ ions owing to the overlap between the emission of vanadate group VO 4 3- and the absorption of Dy 3+ . The luminous color of the phosphor was adjustable from blue to yellow region by increasing the concentration of Dy 3+ . The luminescence intensity ratio (R) of the vanadate group to Dy 3+ can be used as an optical thermometer with high sensitivity (2.64% K − 1 ) in a low-temperature range (130 K), suggesting the prepared phosphor have potential applications in white-emitting and optical temperature sensing simultaneously.