Preparation and Luminescence Properties of Hybrid Titania Immobilized with Lanthanide Complexes

Abstract

Lanthanide(III) β-diketonate complexes (Ln = Eu, Nd, Er) were immobilized on an iso-nicotinic acid (nit)-functionalized titania material. Iso-nicotinic acid was tethered to the titania material via reacting with titanium alkoxide; tris(2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonato) lanthanide(III) dihydrate complexes were coupled to the titania via adduct formation with the nitrogen atoms from bonded iso-nicotinic acid; and the coordinated water molecules were expelled from the first coordination sphere of the lanthanide(III) ion as revealed by the prolonged lifetime of the hybrid titania material compared with that of the pure tris(2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonato) europium(III). Depending on the lanthanide ion, the luminescent titania materials emit in the visible region (Ln = Eu) or in the near-infrared region (Ln = Nd, Er).