Preparation and luminescence of transparent zeolite L-polymer hybrid materials

Abstract

Herein we report a novel transparent organic-inorganic hybrid material exhibiting the emission characteristics of lanthanides by polymerization of liquid monomer MMA containing surface modified zeolite L, inside the channels of which luminescent lanthanide complexes are incorporated. The obtained materials were characterized with FT-IR, SEM and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The emitting color of the transparent zeolite L-polymer materials can be tuned by simply changing the lanthanide complexes inside the channels of zeolite L. SEM images suggest that zeolite L particles are highly dispersed in the PMMA matrices, which ensures the transparency of the hybrid materials. Luminescence spectra reveal that the luminescence features of the lanthanide have been retained upon embedding into the polymer matrices. The polymer can protect the luminescence of the lanthanide complex inside zeolite L crystals from water quenching.