A new luminescent montmorillonite/borane nanocomposite

• First new stable luminescent montmorillonite/borane nanocomposite was prepared.
• It was characterized by many analytical methods.
• The luminescence properties of the new nanocomposite materials were determined.
• The luminescence dependents on the borane concentration.

Herein we present the first luminescent montmorillonite/borane nanocomposite materials, formed by the modification of montmorillonite phyllosilicate matrices with cysteamine and the highly fluorescent boron hydride (borane) compound anti-B18H22. Immobilization of anti-B18H22 in small quantities into the montmorillonite matrix leads to materials with a luminescence that is dependent on the borane concentration. At the lower concentration exceeds even the fluorescence intensity of the original highly fluorescent borane compound. The use of layer silicate – a cheap and naturally-available mineral – as a carrier of the borane, which, on the contrary, does not occur naturally, reduces the amount of expensive borane required for useful luminescence in the solid-state and thus provides a less expensive luminophore. Is the first usage of a blue borane laser compound for nanocomposite with montmorillonite. For purposes of comparison we have also studied a bentonite/borane composite.

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