Currently, the typical WLEDs are manufactured by combining blue GaInN LED chips with green/yellow phosphors. However, this type of WLED device shows a poor color-rendering index (R a < 75) and high correlated color temperatures (CCT > 4500 K) due to the absence of the red components in the output spectrum. [2] Up to now, many types of redemitting phosphors have been reported, such as CaAlSiN 3 :Eu 2+ , Sr[LiAl 3 N 4 ]:Eu 2+ , K 2 SiF 6 :Mn 4+ , and so on. [3] Although nitride phosphors present high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and excellent thermal stability, the expensive reagents and harsh synthesis conditions of high temperature and high pressure push up the cost for daily uses. Meanwhile, Mn 4+ -doped fluoride phosphors also show some drawbacks, such as low chemical stability and the unavoidable usage of corrosive anhydrous HF. Therefore, it is of vital importance to explore novel blue-light-excitable red-emitting phosphor with high PLQY, excellent thermal stability, and low cost in the oxide-based material systems.
The discovery of Eu2+ -doped high-efficiency red phosphors remains a vital challenge for white light-emitting diode (WLED) applications. It is therefore urgent to find effective strategies managing the oxidation state to help reduce Eu 3+ to Eu 2+ and accordingly increase the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Herein, a new red-emitting SrLaScO 4 :Eu phosphor is designed, and the PLQY is enhanced from 13% to 67% under 450 nm excitation by employing (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 -assisted sintering. Combined structural analysis, optical spectroscopy, and theoretical calculation reveal that predominant Eu 2+ prefers to occupy the Sr 2+ sites in the SrLaScO 4 enabling red emission, and a competitive site occupation of Eu 3+ in La 3+ can be restrained, and the reduction mechanism of Eu 3+ to Eu 2+ originating from the (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 addition is analyzed. The fabricated WLED device using red-emitting SrLaScO 4 :Eu and yellow-emitting Y 3 (Al,Ga) 5 O 12 :Ce 3+ exhibits a high color-rendering index of 86.7 at a low correlated color temperature of 4005 K. This work provides a feasible reduction strategy for guiding the development of high-efficiency Eu 2+ -doped red phosphor for WLED applications.