title: Eu³⁺-based bridged silsesquioxanes for transparent luminescent solar concentrators.
abstract: The sol-gel preparation of a bridged silsesquioxane containing europium(III) salts and 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone has been achieved from a new ethane tetracarboxamide-based organosilane. Free-standing films with thicknesses up to 440 μm and maximum absolute quantum yield (q) of 0.34 ± 0.03 (excitation at 320 nm) were prepared by the drop cast method, while thin films (∼200-400 nm) spin-coated on glass substrates led to highly luminescent coatings with q = 0.60 ± 0.02 (excitation at 345 nm). The thin films were tested as planar luminescent solar concentrators and the optimized device displays an optical conversion efficiency of 12.3% in the absorbing spectral region of the active layer (300-380 nm).
authors.affiliation: †Physics Department and CICECO Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.|‡Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5521 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Vânia T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: †Physics Department and CICECO Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lianshe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: §Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM1, 34296 Montpellier, France.|⊥Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558 Australia.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cojocariu
authors.affiliation: §Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM1, 34296 Montpellier, France.|#Institut NEEL, CNRS, Université Grenoble-Alpes, 38042 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cattoën
authors.affiliation: ⊥Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558 Australia.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.affiliation: ‡Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5521 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Rozenn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Le Parc
authors.affiliation: ‡Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5521 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bantignies
authors.affiliation: §Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, UMR 5253 CNRS-UM2-ENSCM-UM1, 34296 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Michel Wong Chi
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Man
authors.affiliation: || Department of Electric and Computer Engineering and Instituto de Telecomunicações, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paulo S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: André
authors.affiliation: †Physics Department and CICECO Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rute A S
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: †Physics Department and CICECO Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Carlos
keywords: lanthanide complex; luminescent solar concentrator; organic−inorganic hybrids; sol−gel; thin films