Near-infrared emission from novel Tris(8-hydroxyquinolinate)lanthanide(III) complexes-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15.

A novel mesoporous material covalently bonded with 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ) was synthesized (designated as Q-SBA-15). The 5-formyl-8-hydroxyquinoline grafted to (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, that is, alkoxysilane modified 8-hydroxyquinoline (Q-Si), was used as one of the precursors for the preparation of the Q-SBA-15 material. On the basis of the other function of the Q-Si of coordinating to lanthanide (Ln) ions, for the first time, the LnQ 3 complexes (Ln = Er, Nd, Yb) have been covalently bonded to the SBA-15 materials. The derivative materials, denoted as LnQ 3-SBA-15, were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and fluorescence spectra. Upon excitation at the ligands absorption bands, all of these materials show the characteristic near-infrared (NIR) luminescence of the corresponding lanthanide ions through the intramolecular energy transfer from the ligands to the lanthanide ions. The NIR luminescence of these mesoporous materials was compared with that of the corresponding pure LnQ 3 complexes and discussed in detail.