BaTiF6:Mn4+ bifunctional microstructures with photoluminescence and photocatalysis: hydrothermal synthesis and controlled morphology

A series of BaTiF6:Mn4+ samples were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route. The crystal structure and morphology of the obtained products were studied. Detailed investigations indicated that morphologies of bundle-like, microrod, and flower-like structures could be observed by varying the hydrothermal reaction time. Simultaneously, we investigated the influences of the reaction temperature and the barium source on the crystal phases and morphology of the prepared BaTiF6:Mn4+ products. The luminescence properties of the as-synthesized samples were systematically evaluated. The results clearly demonstrated that two intense excitation bands could be observed in the near-UV and the blue region, suggesting that the BaTiF6:Mn4+ samples provide a great opportunity for application in light-emitting diodes (LED) with blue-chip excitation. The prepared BaTiF6:Mn4+ samples exhibited an intense red emission under 470 nm light excitation. Additionally, the changes of the Mn4+ emissions based on different reaction temperatures and barium sources were studied in detail. Temperature-dependent luminescence experiments were also performed in order to evaluate the thermal stability of the BaTiF6:Mn4+ samples. Furthermore, a thorough study of the photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared samples demonstrated that BaTiF6: Mn4+ could promote satisfactory photocatalytic activities.