Preparation and optical characterization of an organoeuropium-doped sol-gel transparent luminescence thin film

Binary and ternary europium complexes with dibenzplymethane (DBM) and 1,10- phenanthroline (phen) were synthesized and doped into a sol-gel luminescenc e thin film and polyvinylbutyral (PVB) film. The luminescent spectra and li fetime of the films were measured. The final results showed that Eu(III) ch aracteristic emission bands were observed in the spectra of all the doped f ilms. Longer lifetimes and a higher photo-stability were observed in SiO2:E u(III) complex luminescent thin films than in PVB:Eu(III) complex films tha t contained a corresponding amount of pure complexes. Heat-stability tests showed that SiO2:Eu(III) complex thin films still showed certain fluorescen ce after heat-treatment at a temperature of 130 degreesC, while little fluo rescence could be observed in PVB:Eu(III) complex films under a UV lamp. (C ) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.