From molecules to materials: a new way to construct luminescent chemical bonded hybrid systems based with ternary lanthanide complexes of 1,10-phenanthroline

Two ternary precursor lanthanides (abbreviated as Ln, terbium and europium) complexes with 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and 1,10-phenanthroline were successfully prepared. Then the resulting compounds and tetraethoxysilane further form luminescent hybrid systems with the hydrolysis and condensation of their alkoxy groups through an in situ sol–gel process. The intramolecular energy transfer process runs smoothly within these molecular-based hybrids in terms of sensitized functions of 1,10-phenanthroline and strong characteristic green or red emission of Tb3+ and Eu3+ has been achieved.