Optical and magnetic nanocomposites containing Fe3O4@SiO2 grafted with Eu3+ and Tb3+ complexes

Novel sophisticated, bifunctional nanocomposites of Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions, co-assembling optical and magnetic features into new single discrete entity nanoparticles were synthesized. They can act as red and green light emitters and display paramagnetic properties. The Fe3O4@SiO2-(TTA-Eu-TTA), Fe3O4@SiO2-(TTA-Eu-TC) and Fe3O4@SiO2-(TTA-Eu-AB) nanomaterials emit in red under UV irradiation lamp at 365 nm as well as Fe3O4@SiO2-(TTA-Eu-AMB) one at 254 nm. In addition, the Fe3O4@SiO2-(TTA-Tb-AB or AMB) nanocomposites display green emission under UV irradiation at 254 nm. These all nanomaterials can be easily attracted to the external magnet in suspension and solid phase.173