Tb3+/Eu3+ Complex-Doped Rigid Nanoparticles in Transparent Nanofibrous Membranes Exhibit High Quantum Yield Fluorescence

Abstract

In this study, transparent membranes containing luminescent Tb3+ and Eu3+ complex-doped silica nanoparticles were prepared via electrospinning. We prepared the electrospun fibrous membranes containing Tb(acac)3phen- (acac = acetylacetone, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) and/or Eu(tta)3phen- (tta = 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone) doped silica (M-Si-Tb3+ and M-Si-Eu3+) and studied their photoluminescence properties. The fibrous membranes containing the rare earth complexes were prepared by electrospinning. The surface morphology and thermal properties of the fibrous membrane were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to characterize the fluorescence properties of the membranes. During the electrospinning process, the PVDF transitions from the α phase to the β phase, which exhibits a more rigid structure. The introduction of rigid materials, like PVDF and silica, can improve the fluorescence properties of the hybrid materials by reducing the rate of nonradiative decay. So the emission spectra at 548 nm (Tb) and 612 nm (Eu) were enhanced, as compared to the emission from the pure complex. Furthermore, the fluorescence lifetimes ranged from 0.6 to 1.5 ms and the quantum yields ranged from 32% to 61%. The luminescent fibrous membranes have potential applications in the fields of display panels, innovative electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Energy Transfer Study on Tb3+/Eu3+ Co-Activated Sol-Gel Glass-Ceramic Materials Containing MF3 (M = Y, La) Nanocrystals for NUV Optoelectronic Devices

“…The observed significant difference is clearly related to Tb 3+ → Eu 3+ energy transfer, the efficiency of which is much greater for SiO 2 -LaF 3 :Tb 3+ ,Eu 3+ (η ET = 60.8%) compared with SiO 2 -YF 3 :Tb 3+ ,Eu 3+ glass-ceramics (η ET = 37.3%). Based on the current literature, the luminescence quantum yields for Tb 3+ ,Eu 3+ co-doped nanocrystals are usually in a range from 32% to 61% [65]. It is very interesting that the φ Eu value for SiO 2 -YF 3 :Tb 3+ ,Eu 3+ is in good accordance with the presented data, but the SiO 2 -LaF 3 :Tb 3+ ,Eu 3+ GC sample is characterized by a greater quantum efficiency value.…”

NIR-Fluorescent Hybrid Materials of Tm3+ Complexes Carried by Nano-SiO2 via Improved Sol–Gel Method

“…Thus, there is also an enhancement compared with pure complex; the data are also shown in Table 1 . In summary, the NIR-fluorescent hybrid materials have stronger fluorescence after combination with nano-SiO 2 compared with pure Tm 3+ complexes, and SiO 2 -Tm(TTA) 3 phen is more fluorescent than SiO 2 -Tm(DBM) 3 phen [ 32 ].…”

Stable Fluorescence of Eu3+ Complex Nanostructures Beneath a Protein Skin for Potential Biometric Recognition

“…Fluorescent materials based on lanthanide (Ln 3+ ) complexes [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ] exhibit sharp emission peaks and high fluorescence intensity compared with traditional fluorescent organic molecules. The advantages of distinctive emission spectra and photostability of Ln 3+ fluorescence nanomaterials make them suitable for biological applications [ 7 ], with the background of the widely investigated luminescence properties of Ln 3+ complexes [ 8 , 9 ]. The emission intensity of Ln 3+ complexes can be increased by the complexation of small organic conjugate molecules [ 10 , 11 ] through the antenna effect, and the emission intensity can be adjusted by varying ligands [ 12 ].…”