A new luminescent montmorillonite/borane nanocomposite

•First new stable luminescent montmorillonite/borane nanocomposite was prepared.•It was characterized by many analytical methods.•The luminescence properties of the new nanocomposite materials were determined.•The luminescence dependents on the borane concentration.

Herein we present the first luminescent montmorillonite/borane nanocomposite materials, formed by the modification of montmorillonite phyllosilicate matrices with cysteamine and the highly fluorescent boron hydride (borane) compound anti-B18H22. Immobilization of anti-B18H22 in small quantities into the montmorillonite matrix leads to materials with a luminescence that is dependent on the borane concentration. At the lower concentration exceeds even the fluorescence intensity of the original highly fluorescent borane compound. The use of layer silicate – a cheap and naturally-available mineral – as a carrier of the borane, which, on the contrary, does not occur naturally, reduces the amount of expensive borane required for useful luminescence in the solid-state and thus provides a less expensive luminophore. Is the first usage of a blue borane laser compound for nanocomposite with montmorillonite. For purposes of comparison we have also studied a bentonite/borane composite.

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