Study of synthesis and fluorescence of europium complex/copolymer composite optical resins by in situ preparation

The in situ preparation and the photo-physical properties of optical resins containing lanthanide complexes have been investigated. Composite resins with narrow bandwidth and intense fluorescence were obtained through a free radical copolymerization of methacrylic acid (MA), styrene (St), EuCl3·6H2O, and organic ligands, in which the binary or ternary Eu3+ lanthanide ion complexes were synthesized in situ by a copolymerization process. The molecular structure, the dispersed morphology of the lanthanide complexes, and the luminescence properties of the optical resins were characterized. The relationships between the fluorescence properties of the optical resins and the types of organic ligands, and the relative molar ratio between the organic ligands and the lanthanides ion were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that the lanthanide complexes, with a mean diameter below 20 nm, were homogeneously dispersed in the optical resins. This in situ composite resin showed stronger luminescence intensity and a longer luminescence lifetime than that made by the doping method at the same concentration.