Surface characterisation of cerium-doped silica coatings obtained by sol-gel

The chemical composition of cerium-doped silica coatings prepared via sol-gel were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in conjunction with Ar+-ion sputtering, Rutherford back-scattering spectroscopy (RBS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. XPS results showed that cerium was incorporated in the silica network as Ce(III). The absence of PL emissions from Ce(III) was explained by a clustering of the ions producing a quenching of the luminescence. XPS combined with Ar+ and RBS showed that the distribution of Ce is not uniform across the coating, showing a maximum concentration in an inner layer of the coating.Peer Reviewe