Abstract
A new Zn and Eu tungstate was characterized by spectroscopic techniques. This tungstate, of the formula ZnEu~4~W~3~O~16~, crystallized in the orthorhombic system and was synthesized by a solid‐state reaction. It melts incongruently at 1330°. The luminescent properties, including excitation and emission processes, luminescent dynamics, and local environments of the Eu^3+^ ions in ZnEu~4~W~3~O~16~ and ZnY~4~W~3~O~16~ : Eu^3+^ diluted phases (1, 5, and 10 mol‐% of Eu^3+^ ion) were studied basing on the f^6^‐intraconfigurational transitions in the 250–720 nm spectral range. The excitation spectra of this system (λ~em~ 615 and 470 nm) show broad bands with maxima at 265 and 315 nm related to the ligand‐to‐metal charge‐transfer (LMCT) states. The emission spectra under excitation at the O→W (265 nm) and O→Eu^3+^ (315 nm) LMCT states present the blue‐green emission bands. The emission of tungstate groups mainly originate from the charge‐transfer state of excited 2p orbitals of O^2−^ to the empty orbitals of the central W^6+^ ions. On the other hand, in the emission of the Eu^3+^ ions, both the charge transfer from O^2−^ to Eu^3+^ and the energy transfer from W^6+^ ions to Eu^3+^ are involved. The emission spectra under excitation at the ^7^F~0~→^5^L~6~ transition of the Eu^3+^ ion (394 nm) of ZnY~4~W~3~O~16~ : Eu^3+^ diluted samples show narrow emission lines from the ^5^D~3~, ^5^D~2~, and ^5^D~1~ emitting states. The effect of the active‐ion (Eu^3+^) concentration on the colorimetric characteristic of the emissions of the compound under investigation are presented.