Synthesis and optical properties of Eu3+ ion doped nanocrystalline hydroxya patites embedded in PMMA matrix

Transparent, luminescent and functional nanocomposites demonstrate interesting optical and mechanical properties suitable for many optoelectronic applications. Transparent polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer nanocomposites modified with thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (TAA) were fabricated by in situ polymerization and used as hosts for homogenous dispersion of 3 mol.% Eu3+: Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 (Eu3+:HA) hydroxyapatite ∼20 nm large nanocrystals. The emission, excitation and transmission spectra as well as the fluorescence decay rates of bare Eu3+:HA nanocrystallites, Eu3+:HA embedded in the PMMA and and Eu:HA embedded in the PMMA/TTA nanocomposites were studied. The improvement of transparency was demonstrated with the addition of TTA as well as europium doped hydroxyapatites in comparison to pure PMMA matrix. The Judd-Ofelt analysis of f-f transitions of Eu3+:HA nanocrystallites, the PMMA/Eu3+:HA and the PMMA+TTA/Eu3+:HA was performed to investigate the optical behavior of the polymeric composites.