Highly efficient transparent nanophosphor films for tunable white light-emitting layered coatings

摘要： Bright luminescence in rare-earth (RE) nanocrystals, so-called nanophosphors, is generally achieved by choosing a host that enable the effective excitation of the RE activator through charge or energy transfer. Although tungstate, molybdate or vanadate compounds provide the aforementioned transfer, a comparative analysis of the efficiency of such emitters remains elusive. Herein we perform a combined structural and optical analysis, which reveals that the tetragonal GdVO4 matrix gives rise to the highest efficiency among the different transparent nanophosphor films compared. Then we demonstrate that by sequential stacking of optical quality layers made of Eu3+ and Dy3+ doped nanocrystals, it is possible to attain highly transparent white light emitting coatings of tunable shade with photoluminescence quantum yields above 35%. Layering provides precise dynamic tuning of the chromaticity based on the photoexcitation wavelength dependence of the emission of the nanophosphor ensemble without altering the chemical composition of the emitters or degrading their efficiency. Total extinction of incoming radiation along with the high quantum yields achieved make these thin layered phosphors one of the most efficient transparent white converter coatings ever developed.