Interphases in luminescent oxide nanostructured glass-ceramics

Undoped and doped with Eu₂O₃ oxide glasses of the mK₂O-kP₂O₅-nB₂O₃-xPbO composition were manufactured and studied. The glass-ceramics nanocomposites were manufactured by addition of the doped Eu³⁺ ions with KCa(BO₃) micro/nanosized crystals into the noted glasses. All the samples were characterized with use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflection, and photoluminescence (PL) procedures. The XRD patterns of the glass-ceramics samples showed the peaks corresponding to crystalline component of the composite. Wide bands of intrinsic PL were found in the PL spectra of glasses, while the narrow lines of f–f radiation transition were observed in the spectra of the glasses containing europium oxide and in the spectra of the glass-ceramics. It was concluded that the Eu³⁺ ions in glass-ceramics locate both in the glass matrix and the crystalline particles. Moreover, the luminescent features of the Eu³⁺ ions located in interphase layers were found. This finding creates a basis for monitoring interphase layers formed in glass-ceramics containing Eu³⁺ or other luminescent rare-earth ions.