Preparation and characterization of zinc gallate phosphor for electrochemical luminescence

Zinc gallate (ZnGa₂O₄) phosphor was fabricated by the direct precipitation method (DPM) and solid state reaction method (SSRM). The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of ZnGa₂O₄ phosphor were investigated using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Finally, the prepared ZnGa₂O₄ electrode was examined for electrochemical luminescence (ECL). The ZnGa₂O₄ phosphors showed nano-sized particles at about 10 nm for DPM and 75 nm for SSRM. This electrode showed good conductivity in the reducing hydrogen environment and enhanced luminescence efficiency. The ECL emission intensity of the ZnGa₂O₄ electrode of DPM was 30 times higher than that of SSRM. This electrode exhibited strong green emission peak intensity of ECL at a wavelength of 520 nm from the excitation of 254 nm wavelength. The nano-sized ZnGa₂O₄ electrode of DPM led to effective quenching in an ECL study. Therefore, it had a good luminescence stability.