Effect of Eu3+ doping on the structural and photoluminescence properties of cubic CaCO3

Abstract CaCO 3 : x Eu 3+ ( x  = 0, 0.010, 0.015, 0.020, and 0.025) cubic nanoparticles were synthesized by carbonation method. The powder XRD patterns and SEM images of the CaCO 3 : x Eu 3+ nanoparticles demonstrate that both the crystalline sizes and average particle sizes of synthesized samples decreased with the increase of Eu 3+ content until x  = 0.020. Kubelka–Munk plots and bandgap energy estimation indicate that the doping of Eu 3+ ions changed optical bandgap of CaCO 3 . Photoluminescence (PL) spectra show that the PL intensity of the CaCO 3 : x Eu 3+ nanoparticles was enhanced with the increase of Eu 3+ content in cubic CaCO 3 : x Eu 3+ , and concentration quenching occurred when Eu 3+ concentration exceeded 2.0 mol%. In addition, the doped sites of Eu 3+ in CaCO 3 crystalline were identified by the site-selective spectroscopy and decay curves.