Preparation and optical properties of samarium doped sol–gel materials

Transparent crack-free glassy monoliths containing up to 0.2 Sm/Si are prepared at room temperature by sol–gel technique. The sol–gel preparation conditions are: acid catalyzed hydrolysis followed by basic catalyzed gelation and controlled drying. The prepared xerogels are characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry with Fourier transforming infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and optical spectroscopy. The values of the phenomenological Ω-intensity parameters of Sm(III) ions in the gels are (in 10−20 cm2) Ω2 = 76 ± 16.71, Ω4 = 3.01 ± 0.21, Ω6 = 2.99 ± 0.41. The oscillator strengths of the Sm(III) ions in the gels are calculated. The results show a linear concentration dependence of Sm(III) in UV/Vis absorption spectra and formation of a Sm(NO3)3 · 6H2O complex at high samarium concentrations.