Intercalation of luminescent Europium(III) complexes in layered double hydroxides

Anionic Europium(III) complexes EuL1, EuL2 and EuL3 (L1 = tris (dipicolinate), L2 = diethylenetriaminepentaacetate, L3 = disulfonated bathophenanthroline tris(dibenzoylmethanate) were intercalated in Zn2Al(OH)6Cl, nH2O and Zn4Al(OH)10Cl, nH2O layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Intercalation was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, vibration spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements, using Eu(III) as a local structural probe. Information on host–guest interactions in the hybrid materials were deduced by analyzing the intensity parameter Ω2, the energy position of the 5D0–7F0 transition and the emission decay profile of the prominent hypersensitive red 5D0–7F2 emission.