Preparation and characterization of (SBA-15)–La2O3 host–guest composite materials

Lanthanum oxide was successfully incorporated into an SBA-15 mesoporous molecular sieve via the microwave-assisted synthesis method (MASM) for the first time, and was compared with liquid-phase grafting and thermal diffusion methods. A series of characterizations were used to characterize the prepared materials. The results showed that the preparation of (SBA-15)–La2O3 host–guest composite materials by MASM has the advantages of simpler operation, higher efficiency and more plentiful lanthanum oxide could be incorporated into SBA-15 compared with other methods. In the prepared host–guest (SBA-15)-La2O3 materials, the frameworks of the host molecular sieve were kept intact, their structures were still kept high ordered and the guest lanthanum oxide locates inside the pores of the SBA-15. The sizes of the prepared (SBA-15)–La2O3 samples were 340–357 nm. The prepared host–guest composite materials show the properties of luminescence, and the luminescent intensities are about 2 times of bulk La2O3.