Highly luminescent nanophosphors - new physics, technologies and applications

The application of radiation synthesis in the manufacturing nanopowders of binary and ternary oxide nanophosphors is reviewed. Technological routes are described: irradiation of specific solutions containing soluble metal salts and OH radical scavenger by UV or ionizing radiation results in the formation of finely dispersed solid phase which is separated from the solution and subsequently converted by further thermal treatment into crystalline nanopowders with typical dimension of grains of several tens of nanometers. Doped ZnO, Y2O3, Y3Al5O12, Lu3Al5O12 and Gd3(Ga,Al)5O12 nanophosphors were prepared and their luminescence and scintillation characteristics were measured. In the photoluminescence decay of doped garnets the distinct effect of nanosized grains was found consisting in the slowing-down of the decay due to the change of effective refractive index