DOI:
10.1039/D5QI02501J
(Research Article)
Inorg. Chem. Front., 2026,
13, 3318-3326
Simultaneous broadening and enhancement of Cr3+ photoluminescence in Ba3ZrTa4O15 by chemical unit co-substitution
Received
12th December 2025
, Accepted 13th February 2026
First published on 3rd March 2026
Abstract
Long-wavelength broadband near-infrared (NIR) phosphors serve as a cornerstone for versatile NIR spectroscopy applications. However, achieving simultaneous enhancement in both bandwidth and luminescence intensity at long wavelengths remains a significant challenge. Here, we report two novel NIR phosphors, Ba3ZrTa4O15:Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:Cr3+, both exhibiting dual luminescent centers (Cr1 and Cr2). Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ emits at 905 nm with a bandwidth of 239 nm under 470 nm excitation. Upon substituting Zr4+–Zr4+ with Al3+–Ta5+, the bandwidth increases to 290 nm (room temperature), and the luminescence intensity rises 4 fold. The enhanced luminescence intensity is attributed to lattice contraction, which not only suppresses the non-radiative transitions of Cr1 but also reduces the energy transfer distance between Cr1 and Cr2. This finding offers a new avenue for improving the performance of ultra-broadband NIR phosphors.
1. Introduction
Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful analytical tool across numerous fields, including food quality control, biomedical imaging, and non-destructive testing.1–4 Its unique ability to penetrate biological tissues, avoid visible light interference, and interact with molecular vibrations (e.g., O–H and C–H bonds) makes it indispensable for applications requiring high sensitivity and minimal invasiveness.5–9 The development of efficient, broadband NIR light sources is essential to fully harness these applications. Traditional NIR light sources often suffer from narrow emission bands or bulky designs, limiting their utility in portable devices and spectral analysis.10–13 Phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs), which combine NIR phosphors with commercial blue chips, have emerged as a promising alternative, offering tunable emission and compact form factors.14–17 However, developing high-performance NIR phosphors remains a critical challenge.
Cr3+ stands out as a compelling activator for NIR luminescence, owing to its unique 3d3 electronic configuration that enables tunable emission via crystal field modulation.18–20 In octahedral coordination environments, Cr3+ exhibits two characteristic emission modes: sharp-line emissions from spin-forbidden 2Eg → 4A2g transitions under strong crystal fields and broadband emissions from spin-allowed 4T2g → 4A2g transitions under weak crystal fields.21–24 This versatility has driven its widespread exploration in NIR phosphors. However, in weak crystal fields that emit at longer wavelengths (≥850 nm), the luminescence efficiency plummets.25–28 This is attributed to enhanced electron–phonon coupling, which increases the probability of non-radiative transitions.29,30 To overcome these limitations, strategies that simultaneously broaden the emission bandwidth and improve long-wavelength emission intensity are essential.
Expanding the emission bandwidth through multi-site occupation strategies is a current research focus.31–37 In such materials, Cr3+ ions occupy multiple distinct crystallographic sites, each experiencing a unique crystal field strength and thereby emitting light at different peak wavelengths. The superposition of these individual emission bands results in an ultra-broadband spectrum, which is highly suitable for applications requiring wide spectral coverage.15,38,39 In our previous work, by substituting In3+ for M in Na4M3Ta(PO4)6 (M = Al3+, Ga3+), the bandwidth expanded from 134 nm for a single luminescent center to 232 nm for a two-luminescent-center system.40 These achievements highlight the potential of multisite engineering to overcome the narrowband constraint of single-center Cr3+ luminescence. However, a critical bottleneck persists: the longer-wavelength emission centers in these multi-site systems cannot deliver sufficient intensity due to the inherent properties of weak crystal fields. This limits the practical utility of ultra-broadband phosphors, as the long-wavelength components are vital for deep-tissue imaging and spectral analysis of long-wavelength-absorbing molecules. Resolving this disparity requires strategies to boost the emission strength of long-wavelength centers while preserving the broadband advantage of multisite occupation.
Here, we report a chemical unit co-substitution strategy to simultaneously broaden and enhance Cr3+ photoluminescence. In both Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and its modified Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+, two distinct Cr3+ emission centers (Cr1 and Cr2) are identified, between which energy transfer occurs. Substitution of Zr4+–Zr4+ pairs with Al3+–Ta5+ units effectively suppresses non-radiative transitions at the Cr1 site and promotes efficient energy transfer from Cr1 to Cr2. Following substitution, the overall emission intensity of Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ increased 4 fold compared to that of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+, with a bandwidth of up to 290 nm at room temperature. These findings offer a new pathway for enhancing the performance of Cr3+-activated NIR phosphors.
2. Materials preparation and characterization
2.1 Sample preparation
Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ phosphors were synthesised via a solid-state reaction method. High-purity starting materials, including BaCO3 (AR), Al2O3 (AR), ZrO2 (AR), Cr2O3 (AR), and Ta2O5 (AR), were weighed according to the stoichiometric ratios of the respective chemical formulae. The thoroughly mixed reactants were sintered at 1400 °C for 5 h. The resulting products were subsequently cooled to room temperature, ground into fine powders, and ultimately obtained as the final phosphor materials.
2.2 Characterization
The crystal structure information was identified using a BRUKER D8 ADVANCE X-ray diffractometer. GSAS software was employed to perform Rietveld refinement.41 An Edinburgh FLS-1000 fluorescence spectrophotometer was used to acquire and analyse the excitation, emission spectra, thermal stability, and fluorescence lifetime. SEM photographs and elemental mapping were obtained using a JEOL JEM-2100F scanning electron microscope equipped with an Oxford Xplore 30 attachment. Diffuse reflection spectra were acquired using a Shimadzu UV-3600i Plus. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed using a Thermo Scientific K-Alpha. The quantum yield (QY) was assessed with the Quantaurus-QY Plus C13534-11 (Hamamatsu Photonics).
3. Results and discussion
3.1 Crystal structure
Ba3ZrTa4O15 belongs to the tetragonal crystal system and has the P4bm space group.42 As shown in Fig. 1, the structure contains four distinct coordination polyhedra: Ba1O12, Ba2O15, (Zr/Ta)1O6, and (Zr/Ta)2O6. The Ba1O12 and Ba2O15 polyhedra interconnect via face-sharing, extending along the a and b axes. The (Zr/Ta)1O6 and (Zr/Ta)2O6 octahedra occupy interstices within the three-dimensional framework formed by Ba1O12/Ba2O15 polyhedra and exhibit face-sharing connectivity with both polyhedral types. The two octahedra provide alternative occupation sites for Cr3+ ions. These four polyhedral units stack sequentially along the c-axis to form a layered architecture. Within the octahedral layer, (Zr/Ta)1O6 and (Zr/Ta)2O6 exhibit vertex-sharing connectivity. The ratio of the two octahedra in the unit cell is (Zr/Ta)1O6
:
(Zr/Ta)2O6 = 1
:
4.
 |
| | Fig. 1 Crystal structure of Ba3ZrTa4O15. | |
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks of the Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ phosphor precisely match the ICSD#151421 (Ba3ZrTa4O15) reference pattern, confirming successful synthesis. After substituting Zr4+ (0.72 Å, CN = 6) with 0.5Al3+ + 0.5Ta5+ (0.535 Å and 0.64 Å, CN = 6), the diffraction peaks of the resultant Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ phosphor shift toward higher angles, demonstrating lattice contraction, as shown in Fig. 2a. To quantify lattice parameter changes before and after substitution, Rietveld refinements were performed for Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. As shown in Fig. 2b, the calculated diffraction patterns highly match the measured diffraction data with the reliability factors (Rp, Rwp, χ2) converging to (3.74%, 5.23%, 1.58) and (4.46%, 5.79%, 1.60) for Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+, respectively. The final crystallographic data are summarised in Table 1, with detailed atomic coordinates provided in Table S1 in the SI. Upon Al3+–Ta5+ co-substitution for Zr4+–Zr4+, the lattice parameters a and b contract from 12.6843(2) to 12.5613(4) Å and c contracts from 3.9918(6) to 3.9473(2) Å, resulting in a unit cell volume reduction from 642.2583 to 622.8368 Å3.
 |
| | Fig. 2 (a) XRD patterns, (b) Rietveld refinement results, (c) XPS spectra, and (d) EDS mapping images of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. | |
Table 1 Crystallographic data of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+
| Samples |
Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ |
Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ |
| Crystal system |
Tetragonal |
| Space group |
P4bm |
| Lattice parameters |
|
a/b (Å) |
12.6843(2) |
12.5613(4) |
|
c (Å) |
3.9918(6) |
3.9473(2) |
|
α/β/γ (°) |
90 |
90 |
| Cell volume (Å3) |
642.2583 |
622.8368 |
|
R
p
|
3.74 |
4.46 |
|
R
wp
|
5.23 |
5.79 |
|
χ
2
|
1.58 |
1.60 |
Fig. 2c presents the XPS of the synthesised samples, while Fig. 2d displays the corresponding elemental mapping. These results confirm the homogeneous spatial distribution of the constituent elements. High-resolution XPS analysis (inset of Fig. 2c) verifies the exclusive presence of Cr3+ species.
3.2 Photoluminescence
Fig. 3a shows the diffuse reflectance (DR) spectra of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. Three broad absorption bands are observed in the ranges 300–400 nm, 400–600 nm, and 600–700 nm, which correspond to the spin-allowed transitions 4A2g → 4T1g (4P), 4A2g → 4T1g (4F), and 4A2g → 4T2g (4F) of Cr3+, respectively.43–45 The excitation spectra (Fig. 3b) exhibit bands consistent with those in the DR spectra. Under 470 nm excitation, Ba3ZrTa4O15:Cr3+ shows a broad emission spanning 650–1200 nm with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 239 nm, attributed to the 4T2g → 4A2g transition of Cr3+.46 After substituting Zr4+ with Al3+–Ta5+, the bandwidth remained unchanged, while the emission band exhibited a slight red shift, accompanied by a 2.8-fold increase in luminescence intensity and an increase in QY from 8.48% to 18.87%, as shown in Fig. 3b and Fig. S1 and S2. Additionally, the spectral shape changed, with a clear peak emerging at 754 nm for Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. Both samples exhibited a weak peak at 679 nm, originating from the 2Eg → 4A2g transition of Cr3+. When excited by 328 nm light, the emission intensity of Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ increased 4 fold compared to that of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+. Meanwhile, the peak at 754 nm becomes sharper, with the FWHM at room temperature expanding to 290 nm. Such a broad emission band is highly advantageous for NIR spectral applications.
 |
| | Fig. 3 (a) DR spectra, (b) excitation spectra, and (c) emission spectra of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. (d) The excitation spectra at different monitoring wavelengths, and (e) emission spectra at different excitation wavelengths. (f) Decay curves at different monitoring wavelengths. | |
The significant change in the emission peak shape suggests the potential existence of two luminescent centers. To investigate the properties of these two luminescent centers, the excitation spectra of Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ phosphor were studied at different monitoring wavelengths, along with its emission spectra under different excitation conditions, as shown in Fig. 3d and e. When monitoring at 679 nm, the excitation spectrum exhibits two peaks at 396 and 470 nm. Based on comparison with the Tanabe–Sugano diagram, the sharp peak at 470 nm is assigned to the 4A2g → 2T2g (2G) transition of Cr3+.47,48 Monitoring at 754 nm results in a significant decrease in the 470 nm excitation peak, a broadening of the 396 nm peak, and the emergence of two additional excitation bands at 300 and 620 nm. As the monitoring wavelength increases, a broad excitation band appears in the 400–500 nm range, and the excitation peaks at 300 nm and 620 nm exhibit a red shift. Selective emission spectra reveal a gradual decrease in the 754 nm emission component with increasing excitation wavelength, whereas the 908 nm emission remains unchanged. When excited at 720 nm, the 754 nm peak vanishes entirely. Furthermore, luminescence decay lifetimes at 908 and 1200 nm are nearly identical, while the lifetime at 754 nm is significantly longer (Fig. 3f). Similar behaviour is observed in Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ (Fig. S3 in the SI). Fig. S4 shows the emission spectra of low-doping-concentration samples (Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.005Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.005Cr3+). The emission spectra exhibit two well-resolved emission peaks. The clear separation of the two peaks directly demonstrates that they originate from Cr3+ occupying two distinct crystallographic sites. All these results demonstrate the presence of two luminescent centers in Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+, with emission wavelengths at 754 nm (Cr1) and 908 nm (Cr2), respectively.
To investigate the mechanism underlying the enhanced luminescence intensity resulting from Al3+–Ta5+ substitution for Zr4+–Zr4+, emission spectra at 80 K were measured, as shown in Fig. 4a. The Cr1 emission component is significantly more intense in Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ than in Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+, while Cr2 remains comparable between the two. At 80 K, the shorter decay lifetime of Cr1 in Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ suggests a higher radiative transition rate (Fig. 4b). When the temperature rises to room temperature, the lifetime of Cr1 in Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ remains shorter than that in Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ (Fig. 4c). Since the emission intensity of Cr1 in Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ at room temperature is significantly higher than that in Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ (Fig. 3c), we can deduce that Cr1 in Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ undergoes more severe non-radiative transitions compared to Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. This indicates that Al3+–Ta5+ substitution for Zr4+–Zr4+ suppresses the non-radiative transitions of Cr1.
 |
| | Fig. 4 (a) The emission spectra of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ at 80 K. (b–f) Decay curves of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ monitored at 754 and 908 nm at temperatures of 80 and 298 K. | |
Under 720 nm excitation, which exclusively activates Cr2 emission (as shown in Fig. 3e), the decay profiles of both compounds can be fitted by a mono-exponential function (Fig. 4d). In contrast, under 328 nm excitation, the decay curves of both Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ exhibit an additional slow-decay component distinct from that of Cr1. Additionally, the radiative probability of the fast-decaying component of Cr3+ in both Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ increases, demonstrating a higher radiative probability of Cr2, suggesting a potential energy transfer mechanism between Cr1 and Cr2 (Fig. 4e). Spectral overlap between the Cr1 emission and Cr2 excitation bands provides further evidence for energy transfer between Cr1 and Cr2 (Fig. 3d and e). At 298 K, as shown in Fig. 4f, Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ decays faster than Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+, indicating a larger non-radiative transition probability. These results demonstrate energy transfer between Cr1 and Cr2.
Fig. 5 illustrates the changes in the octahedral coordination environments before and after substitution. Following the replacement of 0.5Zr4+–0.5Zr4+ with 0.5Al3+–0.5Ta5+, the elemental ratio within the octahedra shifts from Zr
:
Ta = 1
:
4 to Al
:
Ta = 1
:
9. The average bond length of the (Zr/Al/Ta)1O6 octahedron decreases from 2.0011 to 1.8539 Å, accompanied by a contraction in volume from 10.4974 to 8.3656 Å3. The distances in octahedra are listed in Table S2. This reduction in bond length results from the smaller ionic radius of Al3+/Ta5+ compared to Zr4+. In contrast, the average bond length of the (Zr/Al/Ta)2O6 octahedron increases slightly from 2.0015 to 2.0161 Å, with a marginal volume expansion from 10.7278 to 10.8034 Å3. This change is abnormal, as the substitution of larger Zr4+ with smaller Al3+/Ta5+ should cause contraction, yet it coincides with the spectral redshift. This may be related to the contraction of the neighboring polyhedra Ba1O12 and Ba2O15. Anomalous expansion also occurs in LiGaP2O7:Cr3+.49 Based on the spectral profiles, we assign the Cr1 center to the (Zr/Al/Ta)1O6 site and Cr2 to the (Zr/Al/Ta)2O6 site. The structural analysis indicates that the compression of the (Zr/Al/Ta)1O6 octahedron enhances its structural rigidity, thereby reducing the probability of non-radiative transitions at the Cr1 site. Furthermore, the distance between the (Zr/Al/Ta)1O6 and (Zr/Al/Ta)2O6 octahedra decreases from 3.755 to 3.725 Å after substitution, facilitating more efficient energy transfer between the two luminescent centers.
 |
| | Fig. 5 Variation in the octahedral coordination environment before and after substitution. | |
Fig. 6a and b present the temperature-dependent emission spectra (80–483 K) of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+, respectively. Both compounds exhibit two distinct emission bands, consisting of a narrow and a broad component. At low temperatures, the broadband emission dominates the spectrum. As the temperature increases, the overall intensity (Cr1 + Cr2) gradually decreases due to thermal quenching and shows a consistent declining trend in both materials.50,51 At 80 K, Cr1 in Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ exhibits a sharper and more intense emission peak compared to that in Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. With increasing temperature, the emission intensity of Cr1 in both compounds rapidly weakens. However, the decay rate in Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ is significantly slower than that in Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ (Fig. 6c), indicating that Al3+–Ta5+ substitution effectively suppresses non-radiative transitions at the Cr1 sites. This finding is consistent with previous structural and spectroscopic analyses. Additionally, as the temperature increases, the emission spectrum undergoes a blue shift (Fig. S5 in the SI), further confirming the presence of multiple luminescent centers.
 |
| | Fig. 6 Temperature-dependent emission spectra of (a) Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and (b) Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. (c) Normalized emission intensity and (d) FWHM of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ at different temperatures. | |
Fig. 6d shows the temperature dependence of FWHM. Between 80 and 230 K, FWHM is primarily controlled by Cr2, with Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+ exhibiting nearly identical FWHM values that gradually increase with rising temperature, indicating enhanced electron–phonon coupling.52,53 Above 230 K, both Cr1 and Cr2 contribute to the FWHM. Owing to Cr1's superior thermal stability in Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+, a remarkable FWHM of 295 nm is achieved at 333 K through the combined emission from both centers, which is highly favourable for spectroscopic applications. As shown in Fig. 7, the characteristic absorption peaks of water and ethanol can be calculated from the emission spectra before and after transmission through water and ethanol. The results indicate that the characteristic absorption of water occurs at approximately 960 and 1154 nm, while that of ethanol occurs at approximately 908, 1014, and 1185 nm. This demonstrates its potential application in NIR spectroscopy technology.
 |
| | Fig. 7 The calculated transmission spectra of (a) water and (b) alcohol measured using Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. | |
4. Conclusion
In summary, this study systematically investigated the NIR luminescence properties and enhancement mechanisms of Ba3ZrTa4O15:0.04Cr3+ and the Al3+–Ta5+ co-substituted sample Ba3Al0.5Ta4.5O15:0.04Cr3+. The results indicate that Al3+–Ta5+ substitution significantly enhances luminescence performance, with the emission intensity increasing by 2.8 times under 470 nm excitation. When the excitation wavelength is shifted to 328 nm, the emission intensity further increases by 4 times. Spectral and lifetime analyses confirmed the presence of two luminescent centers, Cr1 (754 nm) and Cr2 (908 nm), originating from (Zr/Al/Ta)1O6 and (Zr/Al/Ta)2O6 octahedra, respectively. The dual-emission center enables ultra-broadband emission up to 290 nm. The enhancement mechanism stems from the synergistic effects of structural modification and energy transfer. Al3+–Ta5+ substitution shortens the bond length of (Zr/Al/Ta)1O6 and increases its rigidity, thus suppressing the non-radiative transitions of Cr1. Simultaneously, the structural modification reduces the inter-octahedral spacing (3.755 → 3.725 Å), facilitating energy transfer from Cr1 to Cr2. This study provides a novel approach for enhancing the luminescence performance of Cr3+-activated long-wavelength NIR phosphors. The prepared broadband NIR phosphors hold potential value for spectral applications.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts to declare.
Data availability
The supporting data are included in the supplementary information (SI). Supplementary information (SI): Supplementary Tables S1 and S2, and Figures S1–S5. Supplementary information is available. See DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d5qi02501j.
Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12504465 and 12474415), the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (2025-BS-0441), and the Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province (20220101208JC).
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