Structural, optical and luminescence characteristics of a novel blue pigment Ba2CaCo2Si6O17
摘要
A cobalt based novel inorganic blue pigment of composition Ba2CaCo2Si6O17 was fabricated by the solid state reaction process. The crystal phase formation, microstructural evolution, and optical performance of thermally and chemically stable Ba2CaCo2Si6O17 pigment were explored by employing X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy techniques. The indexed X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed that the fabricated pigment crystallized in the orthorhombic elemental arrangement with crystallite size of around 43 nm. Band analysis performed from the FTIR spectrum also supported the formation of an orthorhombic structure for this blue pigment. Transmission electron microscopy provided evidence for the crystallization of the pigment product with a particle size of around 200 nm. The UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum illustrated strong absorbance within the visible region of 425–665 nm of the blue to green light, which was attributed to the d–d transitions of Co2+ ions in the tetrahedral environment that gave the blue color to the pigment. The photoluminescence spectroscopic analysis and CIE coordinates indicate that the blue pigment Ba2CaCo2Si6O17 may be a useful candidate for coating applications.