Optical properties of vitrified rare-earth soaps

Abstract

Transparent glass samples were obtained by fast cooling of molten lanthanide(III) octadecanoates Ln(C₁₇H₃₅COO)₃ (lanthanide = neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium). The tendency of the material to crystallise is reduced by the presence of long alkyl chains. Absorption and luminescence spectra were recorded. The intensities of the f–f transitions were parametrised within the framework of the Judd–Ofelt theory.