Optical properties of neodymium and dysprosium doped hybrid siloxane–oxide coatings

Abstract

Hybrid organic–inorganic nanocomposites made of metal oxo-polymers (zirconium and neodymium oxo or dysprosium oxo species) linked to siloxane species [(CH₃)Si–O_z.frac32;] exhibit luminescence. At low rare-earth-metal (M = Dy, Nd) concentrations, the emission lifetime is mainly governed by energy-transfer processes between rare-earth-metal cations. At higher rare-earth-metal concentrations the emission lifetime is controlled by the interactions between rare-earthmetal cations and by an increase of the quenching probability due to the vicinity of some residual hydroxy groups. Energy transfer between Nd³⁺ ions and Rhodamine 6G co-incorporated inside these hybrid coatings is also demonstrated.