Abstract
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•Zn2SiO4:Ce3+;Mn2+ nanocrystalline phosphor was synthetized by gel combustion method.•Crystal structure and morphology were evaluated by XRD, SEM and EDS analyses.•Luminescence properties were discussed using PL and TL methods.•Overlapped TL peaks behavior were evaluated using IR (with TM - Tstop analysis) and CGCD methods.•Anomalous heating rate effect was detected in the low temperature region.
The structural, morphological, and luminescence properties, including photoluminescence (PL) and thermoluminescence (TL), of newly produced Zn2SiO4 co-activated by Ce3+ and Mn2+ ions using the gel-combustion synthesis, are investigated in deep. To determine the co-dopant effect precisely, non-doped, Ce3+ doped, and Ce3+ and Mn2+ double doped Zn2SiO4 phosphors are evaluated. The fluorescence decay curves indicate that a shorter decay time at relatively high Mn concentrations takes place. The TL glow curve readouts observed by applying the dose range between 0.1 and 2000 Gy after 150 °C preheat are performed at a linear heating rate of 2 °C/s from room temperature (RT) to 500 °C. An anomalous heating rate behavior is observed when the influence of different heating rates on TL characteristics is reported. An excellent agreement is found between the TL kinetic parameters analyzed by the initial rise (IR) with TM–Tstop analysis and computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) methods.