Electrode materials for electric lamps and methods of manufacture thereof

An electrode comprising an electron emissive material,

• wherein the electron emissive material comprises an alkaline earth metal halide compound of formula (I), (II), (III) or (IV), wherein
• MXZ, (I)
• wherein M is at least one alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and combinations thereof, X is a first halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine iodine, and combinations thereof and Z is a second halogen different from the first halogen and selected from group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and combinations thereof;
• MXlZmOn/2 (II)
• wherein M is at least one alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and combinations thereof, X is at least one halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and combinations thereof, Z is at least one halogen different from the first halogen and selected from group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and combinations thereof, wherein l, m, and n is selected to maintain charge balance and where l is selected to be in a range from greater than or equivalent to 0 to less than or equivalent to 2, m is selected to be in a range from greater than or equivalent to 0 to less than or equivalent to 1, and n is selected to be less than or equivalent to 0.5;
• MXbOcNd (III)
• wherein M is at least one alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and combinations thereof, X is at least one halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and combinations thereof where b, c, d is selected to maintain charge balance and b is be selected to be in a range from greater than 0 to about 2, c is selected to be in a range from 0 to about 1, and d is selected to be in a range from 0 to about 1;
• and
• AeMfRgOhXi (IV)
• wherein A is at least one alkali metal selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, and combinations thereof, M is at least one alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and combinations thereof, R is a metal selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Y, Sc, and combinations thereof X is at least one halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and combinations thereof where e, f, g, h, I, is selected to maintain charge balance and e may be selected to be in a range from 0 to about 3, f may be selected to be in a range from greater than 0 to about 4, g may be selected to be in a range from about 0 to about 3, h may be selected to be in a range from 0 to about 1 and i may be selected to be in a range from about 2 to about 11.