Eu2+-doped Ba2GaB4O9Cl blue-emitting phosphor with high color purity for near-UV-pumped white light-emitting diodes

Eu2+-doped borate fluoride Ba2GaB4O9Cl was synthesized by the conventional high-temperature solid-state reaction. The crystal structure and luminescence properties of the phosphors, as well as their thermal luminescence quenching capabilities and CIE chromaticity coordinates were systematically investigated. Under the excitation at 340 nm, the phosphor exhibited an asymmetric broad-band blue emission with a peak at 445 nm, which is ascribed to the 4f–5d transition of Eu2+. It was further proved that energy transfer among the nearest neighbor ions is the major mechanism for concentration quenching of Eu2+ in Ba2−xGaB4O9Cl:xEu2+ phosphors. The luminescence quenching temperature is 432 K. The CIE color coordinates are very close to those of BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+ (BAM). All the properties indicated that the blue-emitting Ba2GaB4O9Cl:Eu2+ phosphor has potential application in white LEDs.