Effect of Fuel Contents on Upconversion Emission Properties of Rare-Earth Ions Doped Hydroxyapatite/Tri-Calcium Composite Phosphors
Main Article Content
Abstract
In this work, we report the effect of fuel content on the green upconversion emission of Er/Yb/Li tri-doped hydroxyapatite/β-tricalcium phosphate (HA/β-TCP) composite phosphor prepared by the solution combustion method using urea as the fuel. X-ray diffraction confirms the formation of mixed phases, including the main HA phase with a hexagonal structure and the secondary β-TCP phase; their percentage composition depends on the fuel content. Scanning electron microscopy indicates spherical particles with average sizes ranging from 118.7 nm to 306.6 nm. Under 975 nm excitation, the phosphors exhibit intense green upconversion (UC) emission (560 nm), which reaches its maximum at the optimal fuel content of 30 mol%. This phenomenon is due to the high fuel content, which enhances crystallinity and contributes to the improved emission-intensity of the phosphors. In summary, the phosphor exhibits intense green UC emission with a uniform particle size, making it suitable for biomedical applications.
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