Influence of the Host Phase on the Vibrational Spectra of Europium-Doped Zirconia Prepared by Hydrothermal Processing

Nanocrystalline zirconia (ZrO 2 ) powders doped with 0.5 up to 5 mol% europium (Eu 3+) were prepared by hydrothermal process using ZrCl 4 and EuCl 3 .6H 2 O as starting materials. Optical emission and vibrational properties of as-prepared and calcined samples were investigated by phonon sideband (PSB), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and photoluminescence spectroscopy as well as lifetime measurements. We found that the doping degree had a strong effect on the crystalline phase, m- and t-ZrO 2 , of the host material, which also influenced on its shape and intensity of the PSB spectra. Residual water in the as-prepared samples indicated by FT-IR spectra induced water relating vibrations in the PSB spectra. The obtained PSB were compared with the peaks in the recorded FT-IR spectra and related to the vibrational modes of m- and t-ZrO 2 .