BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu blue phosphors with MgO coating and microwave irradiation

Europium-activated barium magnesium aluminate (BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu (BAM)) phosphor particles were modified by surface coating with MgO using a polyol method. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of the MgO-coated BAM phosphors showed slightly improved blue-emission intensity compared to the unmodified ones, and reached a stronger peak intensity with 5.25% MgO coating, under vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) 147 nm excitation. Upon microwave irradiation on the MgO-coated BAM phosphors, the PL properties of the MgO-coated phosphors exhibited a much enhanced relative PL ratio, and a maximum relative PL ratio can be achieved when as high as 10.5% MgO was deposited on the phosphor surface. However, for mechanically ground phosphor powder, it was found that although the intensity of the MgO-coated BAM turned stronger with increasing MgO concentration under microwave irradiation, the purity of the resulting luminescence was slightly disrupted by the presence of a new peak near 470 nm, corresponding to BaMg₃Al₁₄O₂₅ compound.