In situ synthesis and photophysical properties of the Eu(TTA)(3)Dipy complex in vinyltriethoxysilane-derived gel glass

The complex of Eu(TTA)(3)Dipy was in situ synthesized in vinyltriethoxysilane-derived sol-gel glass (organically modified silicate, ORMOSIL) during heat treatment to obtain homogeneous transparent monolith by using thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) as ligand and 2,2'-dipyridyl (Dipy) as synergic agent. The ORMOSIL doped with the Eu(TTA)(3)Dipy complex exhibits enhanced red light emission (similar to614 nm) under UV excitation. The steady-state PL spectra at various temperatures and time-resolved luminescence spectra of the Eu(TTA)(3)Dipy complex in situ synthesized in the ORMOSIL and the complex polycrystalline powder dissolved in ethanol solution were measured. The photophysical properties responsible for the electronic transitions and excitation energy migration of the complex in ORMOSIL were discussed in this paper by comparison to that in ethanol. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.