Towards a general concentration quenching model of Bi3+ luminescence

Abstract The vacuum referred binding energy of the electron in the Bi 2+ ground state has been determined in 15 different compounds. This shows that the electron binding energy in the ground state of Bi 2+ is at lower (more negative) energy compared to the electron binding energy in the excited state of Bi 3+ . This means that electron transfer from the excited state of one Bi 3+ to a neighboring Bi 3+ , forming a Bi 2 + − Bi 4 + pair, acts as a quenching route for the Bi 3+ emission. Electron back transfer in the Bi 2 + − Bi 4 + pair is then suggested to be the origin for the frequently observed pair emission. This paper shows that vacuum referred electron binding energy diagrams can provide a unique physical insight in the properties of inorganic compounds.