Abstract

Microporous titanosilicate ETS-10 doped with different concentrations of Er³⁺ ions is used as a precursor for preparing novel dense materials, analogues of the mineral narsarsukite, which display a high and stable room temperature emission in the visible and infrared spectral regions. The emission spectra of these phosphors display a visible broad band—associated with the narsarsukite matrix—and a series of narrow intra-4f¹¹⁴I_13/2 → ⁴I_15/2 lines. The number of Stark components detected in Er³⁺-doped narsarsukite indicates the presence of more than one optically active environment. No significant quenching of luminescence via ion–ion or ion–matrix interaction was detected in the range of Er³⁺ concentrations used. The presence of two multiphonon-assisted anti-Stokes excitation sidebands and an energy transfer mechanism between the host lattice and the optically-active Er³⁺ ions demonstrate that the ion–lattice interactions can play an important role in the interesting luminescence properties of these new titanosilicates.