Vycor glasses impregnated with Tb3+ and Ce3+(or Gd3+) were prepared as vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and ultraviolet (UV) luminescent materials by adsorption of rare-earth ions into a special porous Vycor glass followed by reduction sintering in a CO atmosphere. In the presence of Ce3+(or Gd3+), the Tb3+ emissions under VUV and UV excitation were significantly enhanced owing to energy transfer from Ce3+(or Gd3+) to Tb3+. Furthermore, it was found that the intensity of Tb3+ emissions depended on the solution concentration of Ce3+ (or Gd3+) ions under the excitation at 160 nm but not at 231 nm. The reason may be due to the direct and indirect excitation of Tb3+ under UV and VUV lights, respectively. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.