Materials Science and Engineering: B, cilt.316, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Boron influences the melting point, crystallization, and both the optical and structural characteristics of ceramic materials. The effect of boron on the structural, morphological, and spectral properties for LiMPO4:xEu3+, yB3+ (where M = Zn or Sr and x = 3 mol%, y = 0–100 mol%) phosphors was investigated using materials fabricated with the solid-state method. In XRD results, LiZnPO4:Eu3+, B3+ series showed a single-phase structure up to 100 mol%, while LiSrPO4:Eu3+, B3+ samples exhibited a low monoclinic phase at low concentrations. In SEM micrographs, the flux effect of boron caused growth in LiMPO4:Eu3+, B3+ (M = Zn, Sr) grains sizes. As the B3+ concentration increases, PL emissions for both phosphor series increased up to 100 mol%, and the luminescence intensities increased over 8 times. Judd-Ofelt (JO) parameters (Ω2, Ω4) showed a slightly increasing trend for LiZnPO4:Eu3+, B3+, whilst the change in Ω2 and Ω4 parameters was limited for LiSrPO4:Eu3+, B3+ series. As the B3+ concentration increased, the observed lifetime (τ) of LiZnPO4:Eu3+, B3+ with a bi-exponential decay decreased, whereas the τ lifetime for LiSrPO4:Eu3+, B3+ with a mono exponential decay increased. The quantum efficiencies for LiSrPO4:Eu3+, B3+ phosphors varied between 89.83 %–96.78 % and exhibited approximately twice the efficiency of LiZnPO4:Eu3+, B3+. The usability of optimized LiMPO4:xEu3+, yB3+ (where M = Zn, Sr and x = 3 mol%, y = 100 mol%) phosphors was investigated for latent fingerprint applications.