Photoluminescence performance of Tb3+/Eu3+ doped Bi2Sn2O7 phosphors

• Synthesis of Tb 3+ /Eu 3+ doped Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 phosphors. • Energy transfer in Tb 3+ /Eu 3+ doped Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 phosphors. • Tunable luminescence of Tb 3+ /Eu 3+ doped Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 phosphors. Tb 3+ /Eu 3+ doped Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 phosphors were synthesized by a co-precipitation method. XRD patterns indicate that Tb 3+ /Eu 3+ doped Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 have a single phase. TEM images indicate that the phosphors are irregular particles with the size of several nanometers. Tb 3+ or Eu 3+ singly doped Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 phosphors show characteristic photoluminescence of Tb 3+ /Eu 3+ ions while they are excited. And Tb 3+ /Eu 3+ codoped Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 phosphors show tunable photoluminescence because of Tb 3+ → Eu 3+ energy transfer. The light can move from green region to yellowish-red region via yellow region by changing Eu 3+ concentration.