A novel broadband near-infrared phosphor Na3Mg4LiSi12O30:Cr3+: moderate synthesis and application

Abstract

Broadband near-infrared (NIR) phosphors are the key for the preparation of NIR phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs), which have great application potential in night vision, medical diagnosis, bioimaging, and food quality analysis. Silicate based NIR phosphors have received wide attention due to their excellent thermal stability, while facing the challenge of being synthesized over 1000 °C. In this study, a novel NIR phosphor Na₃Mg₄LiSi₁₂O₃₀:Cr³⁺ (NMLS:Cr³⁺) has been successfully synthesized at 600 °C, and a strong electro-phono coupling effect of Cr³⁺ is proved to ensure its broad NIR emission peaking at 785 nm with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ∼118 nm. The prepared NIR phosphor is fabricated into a NIR pc-LED, which shows application potential in organizational penetration and night vision. Based on the characteristic absorption of alcohol around 900 nm, a portable NIR detector is designed for alcohol detection. This study provides a suitable low-temperature synthesized host for Cr³⁺ doped broadband NIR phosphors and new ideas for exploring advanced applications of NIR luminescent materials.