Well-crystallized flower-like SrCO3:Tb3+ phosphors have been synthesized by an inexpensive and friendly solvothermal process using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP, K30) as an additive without further annealing treatment. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) as well as photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) were used to characterize the resulting samples. The amount of PVP and the reaction time have strong effect on the morphology of the SrCO3:Tb3+ particles. The results of XRD confirm the formation of a well-crystallized SrCO3 phase with an orthorhombic structure. The possible formation mechanism for flower-like SrCO3:Tb3+ phosphor is proposed. The SrCO3:Tb3+ phosphors show the characteristic D-5(4)-F-7(J) (J = 6, 5, 4,3) emission lines with green emission D-5(4)-F-7(5) (544 nm) as the most prominent group under ultraviolet excitation. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.