Photoluminescent Glasses and Their Applications

Glass materials are very attractive for the development of eco-friendly, engineer safe, and fully recyclable smart materials. Photoluminescent glass applies these unique properties to photonics, lighting, and photovoltaics by applying light down-conversion from UV to visible or near-infrared light, suitable for devices, smart windows, and LEDs, among many other applications. Furthermore, enhanced optical properties can be achieved with enamel coatings or by deposition of phosphors, increasing the range of light harvesting of glass materials. This book chapter discusses current methods to synthesize photoluminescent glass and phosphors with a strong focus on the use of alternative raw materials and how they are introduced in such applications to achieve high photoluminescence performances (such as quantum efficiency, Stokes shifts, and brightness). Novel approaches such as quantum dots or photoluminescent zeolites promise new ways to develop luminescence, avoiding the use of critical raw materials such as lanthanides. Examples such as LEDs, light solar concentrators for photovoltaics, and art or design are given, showing the wide range of applications of optical smart glass.