Synthesis and Luminescent Properties of Europium Complexes Covalently Bonded to Hybrid Materials Based on MCM-41 and Poly(Ionic Liquids).

Due to the wide potential application in the fields of sensing, lighting materials, and optical⁻electrical multifunctional devices, rare earth complex hybrid materials have been studied extensively over the past decades. A poly(ionic liquid)/mesoporous-based hybrid system which has been functionalized by the covalently linked europium complexes was reported here. Through surface modification with a coupling agent bearing an vinyl group, MCM-41 was chosen as the carrier matrix for poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) and europium compounds, and based on that, novel luminescent hybrid materials were prepared by confining the ionic liquid and europium complexes into the inorganic Si⁻O frameworks. The resulting organic/inorganic materials are chemically bonded hybrids which show good photoluminescent properties such as broad excitation spectra, line-like emission spectra, and long luminescence lifetimes. The PILs/MCM-41/Eu3+ hybrid reported here is a rare earth multifunctional material which is believed to have potential applications in the field of optical⁻electrical materials.