Ce3+, Tb3+ and Ce3+-Tb3+ activated Ba3Y2(B2O5)3 phosphors were synthesized by a sol-gel pyrolysis method. The synthesized phosphors were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, photoluminescence emission and excitation spectra and luminescence decay curves. In the Ce3+ activated Ba3Y2(B2O5)3 samples, two different Ce3+ centers (marked as Ce(1) and Ce(2)) could exist. The Ba3Y2(B2O5)3:Tb3+ phosphor shows some emission peaks at ∼350–650 nm among which the green emission peak at 540 nm is the strongest. For the Ba3Y2(B2O5)3:Ce3+, Tb...