Room Temperature Visible/Infrared Emission and Energy Transfer in Nd3+-Based Organic/Inorganic Hybrids

The photoluminescence features and the energy transfer processes of Nd³⁺-based siloxane-poly(oxyethylene) hybrids are reported. The host matrix of these materials, classed as di-ureasils, is formed by a siloxane backbone covalently bonded to polyether chains of two molecular weights by means of urea cross-links. The room-temperature photoluminescence spectra of these xerogels show a wide broad purple-blue-green band (350–570 nm), associated with the emitting centres of the di-ureasil host, and the typical near infrared emission of Nd³⁺ (700–1400 nm), assigned to the ⁴F_3/2 ⁴I_{9/2,11/2,13/2} transitions. Self-absorptions in the visible range, resonant with intra-4f³ transitions, indicate the existence of an energy conversion mechanism of visible di-ureasil emission into near infrared Nd³⁺ luminescence. The existence of energy transfer between the di-ureasil's emitting centres and the Nd³⁺ ions is demonstrated calculating the lifetimes of these emitting centres. The efficiency of that energy transfer changes both with the polymer molecular weight and the Nd³⁺ concentration.