Analyte-triggered luminescence of Eu3+ ions encapsulated in Nafion membranes -preparation of hybrid materials from in membrane chemical reactions-.

The possibility to perform chemical reactions inside polymer materials opens a unique opportunity to control and prepare materials for diverse solid-state applications. Based on the affinity of Eu 3+ ions for oxygen functionalities, in this work we report the luminescence enhancement of Eu 3+ ions inserted in Nafion membranes (Naf/Eu 3+ ) by in-situ complexing to oxalate. The formation of a europium-oxalate type complex enhances Eu 3+ luminescence emission, which could be exploited for the construction of devices for oxalate sensing and the fabrication of highly luminescent materials. Possible analytical applications of Naf/Eu 3+ membranes were evaluated by fluorescence spectroscopy through the linear response with concentration. The complex formation was followed by infrared spectroscopy and SEM-EDS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]