Luminescent tin-doped phosphate glasses activated by carbon

José A. Jiménez, University of North Florida

Abstract

This paper reports on the use of carbon powder together with tin(IV) oxide to produce rare earth-free blue-emitting phosphate glasses by melting in ambient atmosphere. While the as-prepared SnO2-doped glass was lacking in luminescent features, increasing amounts of graphite added to batch materials lead to developing the blue-emitting character of the glasses under excitation in the ultraviolet (UV). Upon addition of the highest amount of graphite at 2.0 wt%, the luminescence of carbon-induced defects became noticeable. Time-resolved UV-excited emission spectra appeared consistent with the different contributors to the exhibited luminescence being the twofold-coordinated tin centers alongside carbon-induced defects.