Structure and luminescence of Pr³⁺-doped oxyfluoride glass-ceramics containing Na₅Y₉F₃₂: Pr³⁺ nanocrystals

Oxyfluoride glass-ceramics have become a focal point of recent research, positioned to advance significantly in areas such as LED illumination and optical data storage, etc. This study successfully prepared Pr3+-doped fluorosilicate glass and glass-ceramics embedded Na5Y9F32 nanocrystals. The introduction of Pr2O3 into the glass matrix disturbs the network structure, leading to a reduction in the band gap from 3.66 eV to 3.42 eV. When subjected to 443 nm light excitation, the 1.0 mol% Pr3+-doped glass-ceramics crystallized at 690 degrees C for 1.0 h exhibit the most potent luminescence, displaying seven emission peaks resulting from the radiative transition of Pr3+ ions, manifesting yellowish-pink hues. Furthermore, when stimulated by a 450 nm LD, the glass-ceramics display a distinct emission peak at approximately similar to 247 nm, attributed to the electron transitions of 4f5d -> H-3(4) for Pr3+ ions. The luminescent properties of these glass-ceramics embedded with Na5Y9F32 nanocrystals illustrate potential applications in up-conversion and down-conversion luminescence.