In recent years, lanthanide-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials have attracted significant interest as substitutes for conventional lanthanide oxides in nanoreactors, polymer stabilizers, heterogeneous catalysts, photosensitizers, and OLEDs. This wide variety of applications is a direct consequence of their lamellar structural motif, which facilitates interactions between the organic and inorganic components. Lanthanide alkanoates (or soaps) are lamellar hybrids that form 2D coordination polymers in which inorganic layers of 2D Ln3+ polyhedra are coordinated to organic layers of intercalated alkanoate anions. Luminescent lanthanide decanoate nanoparticles (LnC10 NPs; Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Er) with spherical morphology (&lt;100 nm) have been synthesized via facile “one-pot” microwave (MWV) method utilizing lanthanide nitrates and decanoic acid. The particle size, crystalline structure, and LC behavior were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and powder X-ray diffraction (ambient and heated). Thermal analysis indicated the formation of Smectic A LC phases by all LnC10 nanoparticles, with the smaller lanthanides (Ln = Sm, Gd, Er) displaying additional solid intermediate and Smectic C phases. The formation of LC phases by the smaller Ln3+ exhibit different thermal properties than their bulk counterparts, which do not exhibit LC behavior. Photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed the LnC10 NPs to be optically active, producing strong visible emissions that corresponded to expected electronic transitions by the various Ln3+ ions. Under long-wave UV irradiation (λ = 365 nm), bright visible luminescence was observed for colloidal suspensions of Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, and ErC10 NPs. Details on the synthesis route and characterization of LC/Optical properties are presented.

Liquid crystalline behavior and photoluminescence of lanthanide decanoate nanoparticles synthesized by microwave radiation

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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