Synthesis of MgAl₂O₄: Eu³⁺ Nano-phosphors through the Use of Aniline and Hydrazine Fuels: Study of Structural and Optical Characteristics through Calcination

In this investigation, MgAl₂O₄: Eu³⁺ nano-phosphors were synthesized via combustion synthesis which has been well-known as an advanced manufacturing method. The XRD results clarified that the FWHM (Full Width at Half Maximum) of the main diffraction peak of the phosphors synthesized by aniline through optimum synthesis parameters is considerably larger than that of the hydrazine-related phosphors. In addition, it was shown that the employment of combustion synthesis results in the production of narrow particle size distributions in the range of 25-30 nm. The FTIR results approved the formation of Al-O-Mg as well as the successful crystallization of MgAl₂O₄ spinels. The DTA/TGA spectra of as-synthesized MgAl₂O₄: Eu³⁺ phosphors revealed that, unlike hydrazine, the use of aniline fuel results in considerable weight loss from the ambient temperature to 1000 °C. The PL analysis proved that with monitoring of MgAl₂O₄: Eu³⁺ under the wavelength of 395 nm, the main emission peaks occur at the approximate wavelengths of 569, 591, 612, and 705 nm which are attributed to ⁵D₀ → ⁷F_J (J = 0, 1, 2, and 4) transitions, respectively. Moreover, the utilization of hydrazine fuel gives rise to stronger photoluminescence characteristics and regarding the ratio of ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁ to ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂, it was confirmed the substitution of Eu³⁺ ions in symmetric sites.