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Structural and photophysical characterization of highly luminescent organosilicate xerogel doped with Ir(III) complex

  • Original Paper: Sol-gel and hybrid materials for optical, photonic and optoelectronic applications
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Abstract

In the search for appropriate host matrices for highly luminescent molecular guest species, an organo-silica monolithic xerogel prepared by the hydrolysis and co-condensation reactions of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTS) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) is proposed. Such alkoxides allowed the development of hybrid silica monoliths with a cross-linked three-dimensional structure, in which the silica domains are strictly interconnected with the polymeric network. Highly luminescent monoliths were prepared from the immobilization of a blue-green emissive Ir(III) phosphor in the host matrix, with improved luminescent properties attributed to the greater rigidity of the medium and less diffusion of oxygen within the matrix. The structure of the hybrid material was elucidated by high-resolution solid-state NMR, confirming that the final structure of the developed silica matrix is very similar for both Ir(III)-doped and undoped xerogels. Altogether, the experimental strategy used in this work stands as an advance in the design of photo-functional materials with substantial potential for optical and photonic applications.

Highlights

  • Highly luminescent GPTS:TEOS-derived organosilicate monolithic xerogel is presented.

  • Structural description of the matrix using high-resolution solid-state NMR techniques.

  • Improved luminescent properties due to the rigid media and lower diffusion of O2.

  • Versatile hybrid host system promising for optical and luminescent applications.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) Finance Code 001, and supported by the Center for Research, Technology and Education in Vitreous Materials (CeRTEV), Project 2013/07793-6, funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP). MO Jr acknowledges the National Council for Scientific and Technological (CNPq, grant n° 311069/2020-7). FSdeV acknowledges FAPESP (grant n° 2011/18149-5) and CNPq (grants n° 427220/2018-1 and 444810/2014-5). Special thanks are given to Professor Paulo Sérgio Pizani for assistance in Raman Spectroscopy and Me. Germán Darío Gómez Higuita for his assistance in Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) Finance Code 001, and supported by the Center for Research, Technology and Education in Vitreous Materials (CeRTEV), Project 2013/07793-6, funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, PO Box 369, São Carlos, SP, 13560-970, Brazil

    Raquel R. C. Vilela, Kassio P. S. Zanoni, Marcos de Oliveira Jr. & Andrea S. S. de Camargo

  2. Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMol), Universidad de Valencia, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain

    Kassio P. S. Zanoni

  3. Department of Physics, Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil

    Fábio S. de Vicente

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  1. Raquel R. C. Vilela
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  2. Kassio P. S. Zanoni
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  3. Marcos de Oliveira Jr.
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  4. Fábio S. de Vicente
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  5. Andrea S. S. de Camargo
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Correspondence to Raquel R. C. Vilela or Andrea S. S. de Camargo.

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Vilela, R.R.C., Zanoni, K.P.S., de Oliveira, M. et al. Structural and photophysical characterization of highly luminescent organosilicate xerogel doped with Ir(III) complex. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 102, 236–248 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-021-05593-z

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