Highly selective luminescent sensing of Cu2+ in aqueous solution based on a Eu(III)-centered periodic mesoporous organosilicas hybrid

• Published in: Materials & design Vol. 172; p. 107712
• Main Authors: Li, Heng, Li, Yajuan, Zhang, Zheng, Pang, Xuelei, Yu, Xudong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.06.2019; Elsevier
• Subjects: Europium ion; Fluorescent probe; Luminescent; Mesoporous materials; Organic-inorganic hybrid material; Terpyridine; Luminescent; Mesoporous materials; Organic-inorganic hybrid material; Europium ion; Fluorescent probe; Terpyridine
• ISSN: 0264-1275; 1873-4197
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2019.107712

Using Pluronic P123 surfactant as template, a periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) functionalized with 4′-(4-carboxy-methyleneoxy phenyl)-2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (L-COOH) was successfully prepared via co-condensation using 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE) and the modified L-COOH (L-COOH-NH2). This terpyridine moiety forms interesting chelates to europium ions and enhances the luminescence of Eu3+ ions. Thus, a novel luminescent hybrid material was developed via linking Eu3+ complex Eu(NTA)3(H2O)2 to L-COOH-functionalized PMO material (L-COOH-PMO) using ligand exchange reactions. Investigation of photoluminescent properties shows that the prepared mesoporous hybrid Eu(NTA)3L-COOH-PMO exhibited red emission, long lifetime and high absolute quantum efficiency Φ in solid-state and aqueous solution. More interestingly, it demonstrates greatly sensitive and selective detection of Cu2+ ions in aqueous medium among test ions. The sensing mechanism was also discussed in this report. [Display omitted] •A terpyridine based europium centered periodic mesoporous hybrid has been synthesized.•The hybrid retained the well-ordered mesoporous structures and showed good thermal stability.•The hybrid possesses excellent luminescent property both in solid-state and aqueous solution.•The hybrid exhibited highly sensitive and selective sensing of Cu2+ ions in aqueous solution.