Eu2 +,Dy3 + co-doped strontium aluminate (SrAl2O4) phosphor nanoparticles with high brightness and long afterglow were prepared by
glycine–nitrate solution combustion synthesis at 500 jC, followed by heating the resultant combustion ash at 1100 jC in a weak reductive
atmosphere of active carbon. The average particle size of the SrAl2O4:Eu,Dy phosphor nanoparticles ranges from 15 to 45 nm as indicated by
transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The broad-band UV-excited luminescence of the SrAl2O4:Eu,Dy phosphor nanoparticles was
observed at kmax = 513 nm due to transitions from the 4f65d1 to the 4f7 configuration of the Eu2 + ion. The results indicated that the main
peaks in the emission and excitation spectrum of phosphor nanoparticles shifted to the short wavelength compared with the phosphor
obtained by the solid-state reaction synthesis method. The decay speed of the afterglow for phosphor nanoparticles was faster than that
obtained by the solid-state reaction method.