Europium(III) concentration effect on the spectroscopic and photoluminescent properties of BaMoO(4):Eu.

BaMoO(4):Eu (BEMO) powders were synthesized by the polymeric precursor method (PPM), heat treated at 800 degrees C for 2 h in a heating rate of 5 degrees C/min and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, besides room temperature Photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The emission spectra of BEMO samples under excitation of 394 nm present the characteristic Eu(3+) transitions. The relative intensities of the Eu(3+) emissions increase as the concentration of this ion increases from 0.01 to 0.075 mol, but the luminescence is drastically quenched for the Ba(0.855)Eu(0.145)MoO(4) sample. The one exponential decay curves of the Eu(3+ 5)D(0)-->(7)F(2) transition, lambda (exc) = 394 nm and lambda (em) = 614 nm, provided the decay times of around 0.54 ms for all samples. It was observed a broadening of the Bragg reflections and Raman bands when the Eu(+3) concentration increases as a consequence of a more disordered material. The presence of MoO(3) and Eu(2)Mo(2)O(7) as additional phases in the BEMO samples where observed when the Eu(3+) concentration was 14.5 mol%.