Narrow-Band Deep-Blue Emission and Superior Thermal Stability of Fluoroaluminate Phosphor Based on Tungsten Bronze-Type Mineral Structure

Abstract

Screening novel narrow-band phosphors inspired by natural mineral structures is urgently demanded for improving the performance of phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes. In this work, a novel narrow-band deep-blue-emitting tungsten bronze-type KCaAl2F9:Eu2+ phosphor with superior thermal stability is successfully synthesized. Structural analysis shows that the representative KCaAl2F9:0.013Eu2+ phosphor crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group C2221 with a rigid network. The rigid [AlF6]3− octahedrons are linked together by sharing corners to build endless [AlF6]3−∞ chains, further stacking with each other in a highly cross–linked way to establish the rigid network of the KCaAl2F9 host. Benefiting from the rigid microenvironment, the developed phosphor not only shows a narrow-band deep-blue emission with a full width at half maximum of 45 nm and a high color purity of 92%, but it also exhibits the superior thermal stability with an emission loss of only 10% at 423 K, demonstrating its application potential in bridging the deep-blue spectral cavity toward sunlight-like full-spectrum lighting. In addition, the concentration/temperature quenching behaviors of KCaAl2F9:Eu2+ phosphor are systematically investigated. By revealing the specific structure–property relationship of tungsten bronze-type KCaAl2F9:Eu2+ phosphor, the present study provides a significant guide for identifying the novel narrow-band deep-blue-emitting component applicable to full-spectrum warm white light-emitting diode devices.