In order to prepare efficient luminescent organic⁻inorganic hybrid materials embedded with a lanthanide (Ln3+) complex with polycarboxylate ligands, Ln3+-doped di-ureasils with 4,4-oxybis(benzoic acid) and 1,10-phenanthroline ligands were synthesized via an in-situ sol⁻gel route. The resulting hybrids were structurally, thermally, and optically characterized. The energy levels of the ligands and the host-to-ion and ligand-to-ion energy transfer mechanisms were investigated (including DFT/TD⁻DFT calculations). The results show that these Ln3+-based di-ureasil hybrids exhibit promising luminescent features, e.g., Eu3+-based materials are bright red emitters displaying quantum yields up to 0.50 ± 0.05. The luminescent color can be fine-tuned either by selection of adequate Ln3+ ions or by variation of the excitation wavelength. Accordingly, white light emission with CIE coordinates of (0.33, 0.35) under 310 nm irradiation was obtained.
Keywords: di-ureasil organic–inorganic hybrids; in-situ sol–gel synthesis; red emitters; white light emission.