Photoluminescent Layered Lanthanide Silicate Nanoparticles

Abstract

The first examples of nanoparticles of pure layered Ln2(SiO4H)(OH)2(H2O)Cl (where Ln ) Eu, Gd, and Tb) and mixed microcrystalline layered lanthanide silicates containing different Eu/Gd and Tb/Gd ratios have been reported. The crystal structure of these silicates has been solved from synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data. These materials display interesting and tuneable photoluminescence (PL) properties, such as energy transfer between different Ln3+ centers, illustrated here with the pairs Eu3+/Gd3+ and Tb3+/Gd3+. The PL properties of the mixed Eu3+/Gd3+ sample change upon F– for Cl- ion exchange, and this raises the possibility that this material may be exploited for sensing these ions.