A study on Synthesis of strontium aluminate nanoparticles and doping with dysprosium

In this research, the synthesis of strontium aluminate nanoparticles (SrAl2O4) by using of combustion method assisted by microwave and doping them with dysprosium (SrAl2O4:Dy) have been investigated. Characterization of nanoparticles was performed by XRD, FT-IR, EDS, FESEM, UV-Vis and PL. In the synthesis stage, the data of XRDs confirmed the formation of the monoclinic phase of strontium aluminate with space group P1211, in the sample with the fuel to nitrate ratio of 3 to 1, pH value of 5.5, and microwave irradiation time of 5 minutes, calcination time of an hour and calcination temperature of 600 °C. By using the X-ray powder diffraction data and Scherrer's formula, the average size of nanocrystallites was obtained about 26 nm. In the substitution stage, in order to optimize the luminescence of SrAl2O4 nanoparticles, different percentages of doping were investigated. Among the synthesized nanoparticles, the sample of Sr0.9Al2O4: Dy0.1 nanoparticles with the average nanoparticles size 34±3 nm; most frequent distribution of nanoparticles between 30 and 35 nm; optical gap energy equal to 4.21 ± 0.01 eV and with the highest emission intensity in photoluminescence spectrum, was chosen as an optimal sample in terms of the structural and optical properties.