Nanocrystalline Zn2P2O7: Sm3+ was synthesized using citrate precursor route. Rietveld refined XRD shown the formation of pure phase at 900 degrees C. Based on scanning electron microscopy, size distribution of the pyrophosphate particle was found to be in the range of 50-100 nm. Upon near UV light excitation (403 nm), Zn2P2O7: Sm3+ exhibits host emission at 450 nm along with characteristic emission lines of Sm3+. Based on PL decay measurement, it was inferred that two different types of Sm3+ ions were present in the zinc pyrophosphate. The first type was a short lived species (similar to tau = 100 mu s) present at less symmetric '5-coordinated Zn' sites, while the second was a long lived species (similar to tau = 1.9 ms) present at symmetric '6-coordinated Zn' sites. The color coordinates of the system were evaluated using CIE index diagram to be 0.36 and 0.37, which suggest that the prepared material is a potential near white light emitting phosphor. (C) 2014 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.