Hybrid materials of SBA-16 functionalized by rare earth (Eu3+, Tb3+) complexes of modified β-diketone (TTA and DBM): Covalently bonding assembly and photophysical properties

Novel mesoporous SBA-16 type of hybrids TTA-S16 and DBM-S16 were synthesized by co-condensation of modified β-diketone (TTA-Si and DBM-Si, DBM=1,3-diphenyl-1,3- propanepione, TTA=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the presence of Pluronic F127 as template, which were confirmed by FTIR, XRD, 29Si CP-MAS NMR, and N2 adsorption measurements. Novel organic–inorganic mesoporous luminescent hybrid containing RE3+ (Eu3+, Tb3+) complexes covalently attached to the functionalized ordered mesoporous SBA-16 (TTA-S16 and DBM-S16), which were designated as bpy-RE-TTA-S16 and bpy-RE-DBM-S16, were obtained by sol–gel process. The luminescence properties of these resulting materials were characterized in detail, and the results reveal that mesoporous hybrid material bpy-Eu-TTA-S16 present stronger luminescent intensities, longer lifetimes, and higher luminescent quantum efficiencies than the corresponding DBM-containing materials bpy-Eu-DBM-S16, while bpy-Tb-DBM-S16 exhibit the stronger characteristic emission of Tb3+ and longer lifetime than the corresponding TTA-containing materials bpy-Tb-TTA-S16.