Luminescent hybrid materials based on an europium organic complex and borate glasses

• Hybrid materials of B2O3, 80PbF2–20B2O3 and Eu(NTA)3(Phen) were melt made.
• Exchange reaction of ligands of organic complex with metal of glass matrix proposed
• OH-groups in the matrix inhibit the passage of the exchange reaction.
• Durability of HM based on unfused boron oxide and Eu(NTA)3(Phen) was the longest.

Hybrid materials (HM) were synthesized by high temperature reactions of inorganic glass matrices with an organometallic phosphor; B2O3 and 80PbF2–20B2O3 were used as glassy matrices. The organometallic complex was tris(4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-naphthyl) butane-1,3-dionato-(1,10-phenanthroline) europium (III), (Eu(NTA)3(Phen)). The fabricated HMs were shaped as thin glassy plates. The PL spectra of HMs based on fused B2O3 contained only the bands corresponding to Eu3+ ion transitions and were similar to the spectra of the Eu(NTA)3(Phen) powder. For the HM made from an unfused B2O3, we observed the 503 nm PL band attributed to the ligand, but the Eu3+ lines were more intense. The 80PbF2–20B2O3-based HM had a broad PL band (480 nm), which was more intense than the narrow Eu3+ lines. To explain the obtained results, an exchange reaction that was accompanied by partial decomposition of the organic complex in the glass matrix was proposed. The Eu3+ displacement in an oxide–fluoride environment led to a decreased PL intensity to values that have typically been attributed to Eu3+ doped inorganic glasses. Simultaneously, the ligands formed complexes with Pb, which resulted in an increased PL intensity.