Electrospinning preparation and photoluminescence properties of poly (methyl methacrylate)/Eu3+ ions composite nanofibers and nanoribbons

Nanofibers and nanoribbons of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/Eu3+ ions composites with different concentration of Eu3+ ions were successfully prepared by using a simple electrospinning technique. From the results of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, we found that the morphology of the as-electrospun PMMA/Eu3+ ions composites could be changed from fiber to ribbon structure by adjusting the concentration of Eu3+ ions in the electrospun precursor solution. The coordination between the Eu3+ ions and PMMA molecules were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential thermal analysis. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of the as-electrospun PMMA/Eu3+ ions composites were studied in comparison to those of the Eu(NO3)3 powder. It was showed that the 5D0–7FJ (J = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) emission appeared in the PL spectra of the as-electrospun PMMA/Eu3+ ions composites, whereas the 5D0–7F0 emission was completely absent in the PL spectra of Eu(NO3)3 powder due to the different local environments surrounding Eu3+ ions. It was interesting to note that the intensity ratios of the electric–dipole and magnetic–dipole transitions for the PMMA/Eu3+ ions composites could be enhanced significantly by increasing electrospinning voltage.