Bright electrospun white Y2Zr2O7:Tm3+/Dy3+ nanotubes with excellent thermal quenching resistance and ultralow color shift

Abstract

White LEDs are environmentally friendly light sources that have received extensive attention. The combination of an ultraviolet chip and three-color phosphors is the main method used to obtain white LED devices. The primary issues include the decrease in the luminescence intensity and lifetime, the reduction in the output power of the LED device, and the color shift of the phosphor in high-temperature environments caused by high operating currents and prolonged working times. In this work, bright single-phase full-spectrum white Tm³⁺ and Dy³⁺ Y₂Zr₂O₇ (YZO) nanotubes with high thermal stability and ultralow color drift were prepared by an electrospinning technique at 1300 °C. The color coordinates (0.3308, 0.332) of YZO:2%Tm³⁺/2%Dy³⁺ nanotubes are very close to those of standard white light (0.33, 0.33). The luminescence properties of YZO:Tm³⁺/Dy³⁺ nanotubes were investigated and compared with those of YZO:Tm³⁺/Dy³⁺ powders prepared via a solid-state reaction at 1300 °C. At high temperatures, YZO:Tm³⁺/Dy³⁺ nanotubes exhibit better thermal quenching resistance than YZO:Tm³⁺/Dy³⁺ powders do because of their unique tubular structure. YZO:2%Tm/1%Dy nanotubes retains 91.23% of their initial emission intensity at 453 K compared to that at 303 K, whereas the emission intensity of YZO:2%Tm/1%Dy powders remains at 90.42% at 453 K compared to that at room temperature. YZO:2%Tm/1%Dy nanotubes have an ultralow color drift of 0.16% at 453 K, whereas that of YZO:2%Tm/1%Dy powders reaches 0.9% at the same temperature.