Electrospinning preparation and photophysical properties of one-dimensional (1D) composite nanofibers doped with erbium(III) complexes

1D composite nanofibers of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP, MW≈60,000) doped with three Er(III) complexes were prepared by electrospinning. They demonstrated strong near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence (PL) at 1535 nm and ternary Er(TTA)3Phen (denoted as Er2, where TTA=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate; Phen=1,10-phenanthroline) fibers (Er2/PVP) exhibited maximum PL intensity. The crystal structure of Er2 complex has been determined by X-ray diffraction measurements. Er2 doped in fibers exhibited better thermal stability of NIR PL than the pure Er2 complex. These luminescent composite fibers have potential application in optical amplifiers.