Crystal structure and luminescence properties of silver(I) doped polyphosphate NaZn(PO3)(3)

In the context of a detailed investigation of the luminescent properties of Na1-xAgxZn(PO3)(3) (0 < x <less than or equal to> 1) compounds, the struct ure of the orthorhombic form of sodium-zinc phosphate was confirmed and res olved by the Rietveld profilation method. The cell is orthorhombic (S.G. Pb ca), with a = 14.259(2), b = 14,234(3), and c = 14.238(4) Angstrom. The str ucture is characterized by long phosphate chains connected to infinite chai ns of [NaO6] and [ZnO6] polyhedra sharing faces. When doped with silver ion s, two luminescences have been observed. The UV emission is well known as t ypical of isolated Ag+ ions. The visible emission, interpreted in the most cases in the term of d(10)-d(10) interactions, originates probably from a s ilver-zinc association. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.