Enhanced Eu3+ emission in aqueous phosphotungstate colloidal systems: stabilization of polyoxometalate nanostructures.
Luminescent Eu(3+)-containing polyphosphate-tungstate aqueous colloidal systems were prepared and studied as a function of the relative polyphosphate-tungstate content. In polyphosphate-rich solutions, Eu(3+) ions occupy cagelike sites composed of phosphate groups from the metaphosphate chains. In these sites, an average number of 0.5 water molecule coordinates to an Eu(3+) ion and the (5)D(0) emission quantum efficiency is 0.22. Tungstate addition leads to important modifications in neighboring Eu(3+) leading to coordination sites in the aqueous medium where metal ions are completely hidden from interactions with solvent molecules. Transmission electron microscopy results clearly show W-rich nanoparticles with sizes between 5 and 10 nm for all tungstate relative concentrations. For high tungstate relative contents (above 30 mol %), spectroscopic results suggest the presence of Eu(3+) in polyoxometalate (POM)-like sites by comparison with the well-known decatungstoeuropate [EuW(10)O(36)](9-) structure. These new aqueous colloids display surprisingly high (5)D(0) emission quantum efficiencies of ca 80% because of the strong ligand field provided by tungstate POM ligands and the complete absence of water molecules from the Eu(3+) first coordination shell.
Barbosa
A J
AJ
Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University-UNESP, CP 355, Araraquara-SP 14801-970, Brazil.
Maia
L J Q
LJ
Montanari
B
B
Gonçalves
R R
RR
Messaddeq
Y
Y
Ferreira
R A S
RA
Carlos
L D
LD
Ribeiro
S J L
SJ