Preparation of Ce3+-doped inorganic-organic hybrid materials using functionalized silanes

Ce3+-doped, inorganic-organic hybrid monoliths were prepared from Si(OCH3)(4), CH3Si(OCH3)(3), CeCl3 and various functionalized silanes (FSs) such as amino- (APTM), glycidyloxy- (GPTM), trifluoro- (TFTM) and chloro- (CPTM) silanes at 60 degrees C by the sol-gel process. The functional groups of silane coupling agents coordinated with Ce3+ ions in the inorganic-organic materials. Ce3+-doped materials were transparent under the preparation conditions of FS/Ce3+ ratio of 100 and 1.0 x 10-(4) mol/cm(3) of Ce3+ concentration. Optical properties such as absorption spectra, emission spectra and fluorescence quantum yield for the Ce3+-doped hybrid materials were strongly affected by the Ce3+ ion environment. Emission spectra were observed for the Ce3+-doped materials below 400 nm. The emission intensities of the materials prepared from TFTM, CPTM and without FS were approximately 100 times as much as those of materials prepared from APTM and GPTM. The fluorescence quantum yield was highest (11%) for the material prepared from TFTM hybrid materials.