In situ synthesis of terbium-benzoic acid complex in sol–gel derived silica by a two-step sol–gel method Original Research Article

Terbium complexes with benzoic acid and its derivatives o-hydroxybenzoic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid were in situ synthesized in sol–gel derived silica matrix via a two-step sol–gel process. The formation process of the complex was characterized by fluorescence spectra, absorption spectra and IR spectra. The gels that contain in situ synthesized complexes exhibit the characteristic emission bands of terbium ion. The fluorescence lifetimes of Tb3+ in the silica gels are longer than those in the pure complexes and in the solutions that contain the corresponding complexes.