Tuning of the emission chromaticity of Eu, Gd, Be-containing copolymers

•The copolymers were synthesized through copolymerization of complexes with MMA.•The emitting color could be tuned by feed ratios of tricolor monomers.•The CIE coordinate was (0.34, 0.33) monitored at 365 nm, and ηS was 0.112.•The copolymers were stable up to 264 °C, meeting temperature requirement in LED.

Eu, Gd, Be-containing copolymers were synthesized through copolymerization of reactive complexes with methyl methacrylate (MMA). Their structure was characterized by FT-IR and UV analysis. The glass transition temperature Tg of the copolymers was 24 °C higher than that of PMMA. XRD analysis indicates that the complexes were bonded and dispersed uniformly in polymer matrix. The copolymers showed the emission peaks of red, green and blue monomers under the UV excitation of 365 nm. When the feed ratio of Eu, Gd, Be was 1.5:15:2, the CIE coordinate was calculated as (0.34, 0.33), being located in white light range, and the relative quantum yield (ηS) was calculated to be 0.112. Therefore, this kind of luminescent material is promising for application in white light-emitting diodes.