Tailoring of clusters of active ions in sintered nanoporous silica glass for white light luminescence

To tailor clusters of active ions in glasses is laborious but critical for obtaining high efficient luminescence. Here, we present a facile method to tailor clusters of active ions by using one kind of porous host, the nanoporous silica glass. The white light-emitting glasses were prepared by sintering of nanoporous silica glasses impregnated with Ce3+, Tb3+, Mn2+ and Al3+ ions. The combination of blue, green and red emissions of Ce3+, Tb3+ and Mn2+ ions in the glasses under ultraviolet light excitation create white light emissions. The fluorescence of the glasses under long-wavelength ultraviolet excitation are dependent on energy transfer processes between the active ions; and the Al3+ plays a key role in adjusting of the energy transfer processes.