Synthesis and study of optical properties of a Gd³⁺‐doped NaYF₄ phosphor for phototherapy lamp application

Abstract

In recent trends, radiation falls under the narrowband ultraviolet‐B region (305–315 nm) widely used in phototherapy lamp applications in the treatment of skin diseases. In this paper, we report a Gd3+‐doped NaYF4 luminescent material synthesized for the first time using the low‐temperature co‐precipitation method. It crystallized into a face‐centred cubic structure, as confirmed by X‐ray diffraction characterization techniques and Rietveld refinement. The photoluminescence property of the as‐prepared sample shows a highly intense, sharp emission band obtained at 311 nm, which belongs to the narrowband ultraviolet‐B region and corresponds to the transition of the 6P7/2→8S7/2 level of the Gd3+ ions under 272 nm excitation (8S7/2 to 6IJ). The transitions of the Gd3+ ions are detected entirely with different concentrations of Gd3+ ions. Scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the average particle was 288 nm. The critical distance for energy transfer was calculated to be equal to 11.5017 Å. Dipole–dipole interaction is responsible for energy transfer, as analyzed by Dexter theory. These excellent optical characteristics, together with their highly efficient and low‐cost synthesis approach, indicate that synthesized NaYF4:Gd3+ phosphors have excessive potential for phototherapeutic lamp applications.