Multi-color fluorescence in rare earth acetylacetonate hydrate doped poly methyl methacrylate

Europium and terbium acetylacetonate hydrates were doped into poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA). Efficient purplish-red and green fluorescence was obtained from europium acetylacetonate hydrates (EAH) and terbium acetylacetonate hydrates (TAH) doped PMMA respectively. Judd-Ofelt parameters Omega(2) (19.73 x 10(-20) cm(2)) and Omega(4) (2.19 x 10(-20) cm(2)) indicate a high inversion asymmetric and strong covalent environment in PMMA. The maximum stimulated emission cross-sections for the D-5(0)-> F-7(J)(I=1, 2 and 4) transitions in EAR doped PMMA were calculated to be 0.38 x 10(-21), 4.90 x 10(-21) and 0.36 x 10(-21) cm(2), respectively. Variable fluorescence color can be efficiently achieved from the cooperation of three fluorescence colors offered by red (Eu3+), green (Tb3+) and blue (ligand) in EAH/TAH codoped PMMA by adjusting the excitation wavelength. These results indicate that PMMA is an effective photoluminescence co-sensitizer and PMMA doped with rare earth acetylacetonate hydrates is a promising candidate for a series of optoelectronic functional devices. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.