Eu-Doped Pyrochlore Crystal Nano-Powders as Fluorescent Solid for Fingerprint Visualization and for Anti-Counterfeiting Applications

Undoped Y2 Sn2 O7 and Eu3+ doped Y2 Sn2 O7 samples with doping concentrations 7%, 8%, 9%, and 10% are successfully synthesized by the co-precipitation method. A complete structural, morphological, and spectroscopic characterization is carried out. XRD measurements reveal that samples crystallize in the pure single pyrochlore phase and Eu3+ ions occupy sites with D3d symmetry. After mechanical grinding, the average crystallite size is less than 100 nm for all compositions. Optical characterization shows emission from the5 D0 level towards the lower lying7 F0,1,2,3,4 levels. The CIE color coordinates of all the pyrochlore phosphors are very close to those of the ideal red light. For the visualization of latent fingerprints, different surfaces are tested, including difficult ones (wood and ceramic), with excellent results. All three levels of fingerprint ridge patterns are visualized: core (Level 1), bifurcation and termination (Level 2), and sweat pores (Level 3). Moreover, our nano-powders are used to prepare a stable fluorescent ink. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.