Sonoluminescence of aqueous solutions of lanthanide salts

The influence of salts (TbCl₃, Tb(NO₃)₃, PrCl₃, EuCl₃, CeCl₃, and DyCl₃) on the spectrum and intensity of multi-bubble sonoluminescence (SL) of water was observed at a frequency of 20 kHz. Luminescence bands of the lanthanide ions were detected in the SL spectra of concentrated solutions of the Ce^III, Tb^III, and Dy^III chlorides (0.1—1 mol L^–1). No luminescence was observed for solutions of the other salts, and the shape of the spectra is due to the absorption of the water SL by the lanthanide ions. Possible mechanisms of the appearance of SL of lanthanides were considered. The first mechanism is the excitation of the lanthanide aqua ions in the solution bulk due to the absorption of the short-wave portion of glow of the excited water molecules and OH radicals emitted from the cavitation gas-vapor bubbles. The second mechanism involves the transfer of the lanthanide ions to the gas phase from the liquid layer adjacent to the cavitation bubble and their excitation in the bubble volume upon collisions with other hot or electron-excited particles.