Photoluminescent and Photocatalytic Properties of Eu3+-Doped MgAl Oxide Coatings Formed by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy

The synthesis of Eu3+-doped MgAl oxide coatings containing MgO and MgAl2O4 was accomplished through plasma electrolytic oxidation of AZ31 magnesium alloy in aluminate electrolyte with the addition of Eu2O3 particles in various concentrations. Their morphological, structural, and above all, photoluminescent (PL) and photocatalytic activity (PA) were thoroughly investigated. PL emission spectra of MgAl oxide coatings feature characteristic emission peaks, which are ascribed to f–f transitions of Eu3+ ions from excited level 5D0 to lower levels 7FJ. The charge transfer state of Eu3+ or direct excitation of the Eu3+ ground state 7F0 into higher levels of the 4f-manifold are both attributed to the PL peaks that appear in the excitation PL spectra of the obtained coatings. The fact that the transition 5D0 → 7F2 (electrical dipole transition) in Eu3+-doped MgAl oxide coatings is considerably stronger than the transition 5D0 → 7F1 (magnetic dipole transition) indicates that Eu3+ ions occupied sites with non-inversion symmetry. Because of oxygen vacancy formation, the Eu3+-doped MgAl oxide coatings had a higher PA in the degradation of methyl orange than the pure MgAl oxide coating. The highest PA was found in Eu3+-doped MgAl oxide coating formed in an aluminate electrolyte with 4 g/L of Eu2O3 particles. The PA, morphology, and phase of Eu3+-doped MgAl oxide coatings did not change after several consecutive runs, indicating outstanding stability of these photocatalysts.