BaTiF6:Mn4+ Red Phosphor: Synthesis of Single Crystals at Room Temperature and the High Hydrolysis-Resistant Property

Due to the low solubility of BaF2, the BaTiF6:Mn4+ phosphor for whitelight-emitting diodes application has been generally synthesized by the hydrothermal route, during which process the valence of the manganese dopant is difficult to be controlled as tetravalent. In this paper, a new synthesis method that proceeded at room temperature was reported. This method uses BaTiOF4 as the precursor and allows for the control of the phase transformation rate from BaTiOF4 to BaTiF6 in the K2MnF6/HF acid solution. Benefitting from that, we successfully prepared red-emitting BaTiF6:Mn4+ elongated crystals with a single-crystal nature up to a record-breaking length of 200–300 μm. The effects of the crystallinity of the BaTiOF4 precursor on its phase transformation rate into BaTiF6 and on the optimal Mn4+ doping concentration were studied. The BaTiF6:Mn4+ single-crystal phosphor exhibits relatively excellent hydrolysis-resistant behavior after being immersed in water for 3 h, at which condition the commercial K2SiF6:Mn4+ has become brown. This study may inspire the room-temperature preparation of other hydrolysis-resistant alkali earth fluorotitanate or fluorosilicate phosphors with stable tetravalent manganese doping.