Preparation and luminescent properties of ZnO:Ga(La)/polymer nanocomposite

Composite material, consisting of nanosized ZnO:Ga(La) embedded in a transparent polymer matrix was prepared. ZnO:Ga(La) was synthesized via photo induced precipitation from aqueous solution containing zinc formate, hydrogen peroxide and gallium nitrate or lanthanum acetate. Solid phase was calcined at 1100 °C to obtain crystalline ZnO:Ga(La) powder (crystallite size ∼ 50 nm) and further processed in reducing atmosphere (H2/Ar) at 800 °C. Resulting material features intensive excitonic luminescence under X-ray excitation, with distinct maximum at ∼392 nm. No defect related luminescence in visible spectral range was observed. Nanocomposite material was then prepared as follows: ZnO:Ga(La) nanopowder was homogeneously dispersed in the solution of urethane dimethacrylate monomers, and the fast UV-induced polymerization was subsequently employed for preparation of optically transparent polyurethane matrix with embedded nanopowder. Radioluminescence properties of prepared nanocomposite are qualitatively similar to those of ZnO:Ga(La) nanopowder.

► Nanopowder ZnO:Ga(La) with high exciton luminescence was prepared.
► The size of the ZnO particles was ∼50 nm with narrow size distribution.
► The nanopowder was embedded in polymer matrix via fast photopolymerization technique.
► Resulting nanocomposite shows qualitatively similar luminescence to nanopowder.