Functionalization of Sol-Gel Zirconia Composites with Europium Complexes

Different sol-gel strategies based on functionalization of ZrO2:Eu microparticles with 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and incorporation of colloidal Eu(phen)(2)(NO3)(3) into zirconia have been used to obtain hybrid sol-gel composites with controlled optical properties. The process leads to materials with quantum yields of about 48% monitoring the 615 nm emission line at 350 nm excitation. Excitation/luminescence spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction have been used to characterize the hybrid zirconia composites.