MWO4 host matrices (M: Sr, Ba) doped with different Tm3+ concentrations (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10 mol%) have been successfully prepared by the coprecipitation method at room temperature. The as-prepared nanophosphors were characterized by infrared spectroscopy showing intense absorption bands in the range of 700-1000 cm-1 attributed to the symmetrical and asymmetrical stretching vibrations (ν) of the tetrahedral [WO4]2- group. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements reveal the tetragonal scheelite phase with the I41/a (No. 88) space group. The emission spectra of the MWO4:Tm3+ materials are dominated by the highest intensity narrow band of the intraconfigurational 1D2 → 3F4 transitions in the blue region (ca. 456 nm) arising from the Tm3+ ions. Additional low-intensity emission bands originated from the 1G4 → 3H6 (ca. 475 nm), 1G4 → 3F4 (660 nm) and 3H4 → 3H6 (700 nm) transitions are also observed. These optical results indicate that the materials can be used as an alternative to blue-emitting markers.

The [Zn3(BTC)2·12H2O] (BTC = 1,3,5-tricarboxylate) metal-organic framework (MOF) was successfully synthesized using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis technique, which allowed for significantly decreased reaction time compared to the production of the same compound via conventional heating. In situ doping with Eu3+ ions at concentrations ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 mol% produced doped materials whose emission ranged from blue to red color. The Eu3+ spectroscopic properties were used to study the incorporation of the dopant into the structure of [Zn3(BTC)2·12H2O], even at very low concentrations. These experiments confirmed the usefulness of this ion as a luminescent probe, as it permitted the identification of small variations in structure not perceptible by X-ray diffraction. The variation in the coordination environment induced by increases in doping percentage was analyzed by evaluating changes in the characteristic Eu3+ excitation and emission profiles, using them to calculate luminescence lifetimes, experimental intensity parameters Ωλ (λ: 2 and 4) as well as the intrinsic quantum yield (QEu+3Eu+3) of the 5D0 emitting level of each doped MOF. The excitation and luminescence spectra show that intramolecular energy transfer from the BTC linker to Eu3+ ion, and we could observe the emission color tuning originated from the emissions of the BTC ligand and Eu3+ ion.

Pyrimidines and their derivatives are present in various biologically active molecules. Most of the synthetic methods employed to achieve the pyrimidinone ring consist of two stages: the synthesis of a Michael intermediate from an aldehyde and an "active methylene" containing compound; and the condensation of this intermediate with a molecule containing an uranium moiety. This may take one to two days of laboratory work. In this paper we describe a new methodology in which these derivatives are obtained via multicomponent synthesis mediated by ultrasound in only 2 hours. In order to obtain water-soluble pyrimidinone derivatives, our previous compounds were further converted into their sodium salts. In pharmacologic studies, these salts inhibited phenylephrine-induced contraction in isolated rat aorta, suggesting that they may act as alpha-1 antagonists and, therefore, are candidates for anti-hypertensive drugs.

[RE(TLA)·(H2O)n:Eu3+] (RE3+: Y, Gd and Lu; TLA: trimellitic acid) precursor complexes were synthesized by an one step aqueous co-precipitation method. After annealing for 1 h, RE2O3:Eu3+ nanophosphors were formed through the benzenetricarboxylate low temperature thermolysis method (500-1000 ºC). The compounds were characterized by using different techniques [elemental analysis (CHN), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry (TG/DTG), X-ray powder diffraction (XPD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM)]. The XPD data indicated that the Y2O3:Eu3+ materials have crystallite size range from 11 to 62 nm. The SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the annealed materials keep morphological similarities with the precursor complexes. The photoluminescence properties were studied based on the excitation and emission spectra, and luminescence decay lifetimes of the 5D0 emitting level of the Eu3+ ion. The experimental intensity parameters (Ωλ), lifetimes (τ), as well as radiative (Arad) and non-radiative (Anrad) decay rates were calculated and discussed. The RE2O3:Eu3+ phosphors (RE: Y3+ and Lu3+) annealed at 500 to 1000 ºC have emission quantum efficiency (intrinsic quantum yield) values from 60 to 82%, indicating that this material can be potentially used for optical markers applications.

Examinamos a possibilidade de detectar o plásmon da região de recobrimento da ligação química (CBOP) da molécula de hidrogênio através do espalhamento inelástico de elétrons. Foi previsto que o CBOP absorve e espalha eficientemente a radiação eletromagnética acima do limiar de ionização molecular para o caso dos halogenetos de metais alcalinos. Para a molécula de hidrogênio, a natureza quadrupolar da seção de choque do CBOP fornece valores de seção de choque para perda de energia que dependem da energia do feixe de elétrons incidente e um comportamento angular que é totalmente distinto da ionização usual, das transições inter-bandas e dos processos dissociativos. Algumas relações obtidas anteriormente entre o CBOP e a polarizabilidade da região de recobrimento sugerem ser essa grandeza uma ferramenta teórica promissora na quantificação da covalência em ligações químicas

We examine the possibility of detecting the chemical bond overlap plasmon (CBOP) of the hydrogen molecule by electron inelastic scattering. The CBOP has been predicted to efficiently absorb and scatter electromagnetic radiation above the molecular ionization threshold in the cases of alkali halides. For the hydrogen molecule the quadrupole nature of the CBOP energy-loss cross section leads to cross section values with impacting electron energy dependence and an angular behavior which are totally distinguishable from the usual ionization, inter-band transitions and dissociation processes. Previously established relationships between the CBOP and the polarizability of the overlap region suggest this an a promising theoretical tool for quantifying covalency in the chemical bond.

Complexes of Eu3+, Tb3+ and Gd3+ with dipicolinic acid, chelidamic acid and chelidonic acid have been synthesized in order to study the effect of the substituent groups on the luminescence of the lanthanide complexes. The luminescence of the Eu3+ and Tb3+ complexes was quantified by quantum yield measurements. The complexes of Gd3+ have been used to determine the energies of the triplet states of the ligands. The Tb3+ complex synthesized with dipicolinic acid presented the highest quantum yield due to the energy difference between the triplet state of the dipicolinic acid and the emitting level of the Tb3+ ion.

Os compostos Gd2(WO4)3:RE3+ (onde RE = Sm e Tb) preparados via métodos Pechini e cerâmico foram caracterizados por difratometria de raios-X e espectroscopia de absorção na região do infravermelho. Estes materiais de terras raras apresentam alta intensidade luminescente, laranja para os compostos de Sm3+ e verde para os de Tb3+, quando excitados com radiação UV. Os espectros de excitação dos compostos mostraram bandas largas oriundas da transferência de carga ligante-metal (O->W e O->RE3+) e bandas estreitas associadas às transições intraconfiguracionais (4f-4f). Os espectros de excitação do sistema com Tb3+ também exibiram bandas largas atribuídas à transição interconfiguracional (4f-5d). Quando os espectros de emissão dos compostos contendo Sm3+ e Tb3+ são obtidos com excitação no íon observa-se somente transições finas 4G5/2->6H J (J = 5/2, 7/2, 9/2 e 11/2) e 5D4-> 7F J (J = 0-6). Por outro lado, quando a excitação é monitorada na banda de transferência de carga (BTC, 270 nm) são também observadas bandas largas atribuídas a BTC (O->W). Os parâmetros de intensidade experimentais, etaSm e etaEu, apresentaram comportamentos similares, sugerindo que o íon Sm3+ encontra-se em um ambiente químico altamente polarizável e que o caráter covalente da interação metal-ligante é semelhante àquele do sistema tungstato de európio. O processo de relaxação cruzada baseado nos níveis 5D3 e 5D4 do sistema Gd2(WO4)3:Tb³ foi reportado.

The Gd2(WO4)3:RE3+ compounds (where RE3+ = Sm and Tb) were prepared by the Pechini and ceramic methods and characterized by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. These rare earth materials present high orange (Sm3+-compound) and green (Tb3+-compound) luminescence intensity under UV radiation. The excitation spectra of these compounds presented broad bands arising from ligand-to-metal charge transfer (O->W and O->RE3+) and narrow bands from 4f-intraconfigurational transitions. The excitation spectra of Tb3+ system also exhibit broad bands attributed to the interconfigurational transition (4f-5d). The emission spectra exhibited the 4G5/2->6H J (J = 5/2, 7/2, 9/2 and 11/2) and 5D4-> 7F J (J = 0-6) transitions (direct excitation), for the systems doped with Sm3+ and Tb3+, respectively, while a broad band assigned to the LMCT (O->W) is observed when the excitation is monitored on the O->W LMCT state around 270 nm. The experimental intensity parameters etaSm and etaEu present similar behaviors, suggesting that the Sm3+ ion is in a highly polarizable chemical environment with similar covalent character of the metal-donor atom interaction to the tungstate doped europium system. The cross-relaxation process from the 5D3 to the 5D4 levels of the Gd2(WO4)3:Tb3+ system has been also reported.

In this article we review some of the basic aspects of rare earth spectroscopy applied to vitreous materials. The characteristics of the intra-atomic free ion and ligand field interactions, as well as the formalisms of the forced electric dipole and dynamic coupling mechanisms of 4f-4f intensities, are outlined. The contribution of the later mechanism to the 4f-4f intensities is critically discussed, a point that has been commonly overlooked in the literature of rare earth doped glasses. The observed correlation between the empirical intensity parameter W2 and the covalence of the ion first coordination shell is discussed accordingly to the theoretical predictions.

We are working in a new multi-doped glassy material to generate simultaneously the three primary light color (by addition) of the visible spectrum, with the control of the intensity of each one, allowing the simulation of any color: a full-color generator device. Tm+3, Tb+3 and Eu+3 ions were used (0.01 to 5,0 mol%) as blue, green and red narrow line emitters. A wide color gamut was obtained under ultraviolet excitation by varying the material composition. The chromaticity diagram is covered, including the white simulation.

Recentlly, we have proposed the representation of lanthanides within AM1 as sparkles for the purpose of obtaing ground state geometries of their complexes. We tested our quantum chemical sparkle model (SMLC/AM1) for the prediction of the crystallographic structure of complexes with coordination number nine, eight and seven. A technique is introduced for the theoretical prediction of eletronic spectra of the organic part of lanthanide complexes by replacing the metal ion by a point charge with the ligands held in their positions as determined by the SMLC/AM1, and by computing the theoretical spectra via the intermediate neglect of differential overlap/spectroscopic-configuration interaction (INDO/S-CI).