[RE(czb)3(H2O)2] complexes (where RE = Eu3+, Tb3+, Gd3+; and czb = 4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)benzoato) have been synthesized and characterized. The Gd3+ complex was used to determine the triplet state energy of the czb ligand. Photoluminescence measurements of the complexes have been carried out under UV excitation. The Tb3+ complex exhibited a strong green luminescence indicating an efficient antenna effect, whereas the Eu3+ complex showed low red luminescence and the Gd3+ complex a blue-green luminescence from the ligand. The luminescence lifetimes and quantum yields have also been measured for the evaluation of the spectroscopic behavior of the complexes.

This work describes a simple and economical experiment for the extraction and purification of chlorophyll a from Spirulina maxima. Extraction and purification of natural compounds can be considered one of the most illustrative experiments that can be performed in Organic Chemistry courses. Particularly, the chromatography of dyes and pigments allows students to have a better comprehension of the chromatography separations. These compounds represent an important class of organic pigments applied in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, detergent compositions, and various other fields and can be extracted from plants and algae. To extract, separate and purify chlorophyll a from associated pigments such as xanthophylls, carotenes, and pheophytins, very costly processes are reported. The present approach is perfectly adequate for use in Chemistry experiments for undergraduate students.

The spray-drying technique has been widely used for drying heat-sensitive foods, pharmaceuticals, and other substances, because it leads to rapid solvent evaporation from droplets. This method involves the transformation of a feed from a fluid state into a dried particulate, by spraying the feed into a hot medium. Despite being most often considered a dehydration process, spray drying can also be used as an encapsulation method. Therefore, this work proposes the use of a simple and low-cost ultrasonic spray dryer system to produce spherical microparticles. This equipment was successfully applied to the preparation of dextrin microspheres on a laboratory scale and for academic purposes.

Morphological and spectroscopic studies of Sr2CeO4 blue phosphor in the form of fine particles prepared from a powdered multi-component precursor, via a combustion method, are reported. Samples were also prepared through a solid-state reaction and from a polymeric precursor for comparison. Citric acid or glycine as fuels in the combustion method lead to a mixture which is heated at 950 ºC for 4 h, resulting in spheroidal particles with a diameter between 250-550 nm. Samples from the polymeric precursor result in spheroidal particles (350-550 nm) and from the solid-state reaction in irregular particles (~ 5 mum). Therefore, the combustion method is adequate for preparation of Sr2CeO4 in the form of spherical fine particles.

The sol-gel process is a methodology used to obtain organic-inorganic hybrid solids, which open new possibilities in the field of material science. The sol-gel technique offers a low temperature attractive approach for introducing organic molecules into amorphous materials. In order to introduce tetrakis (2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)porphyrin covalently bounded to a silicate matrix, the inorganic precursor 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane was added (molar ratio 2:1) to the porphyrin solution in anhydrous dimethylformamide and triethylamine. The isolated porphyrin and the hybrid porphyrinosilica have excitation maximum centred at 400 nm and 424 nm, respectively and the emission spectra for both materials has bands centred at 650 nm and 713 nm. The formation of hybrid matrix was investigated by FTIR.

Muitos compostos modelo contendo porfirinas têm sido preparados num esforço para entender o sistema de fotossíntese e os processos de aproveitamento de energia solar. Sistemas doadores-receptores contendo porfirinas têm sido freqüentemente estudados para testar várias descrições teóricas sobre transferência de elétrons. O estudo de parâmetros fotoquímicos e fotofísicos como a distância para transferência de energia, geometria molecular e a diferença de potencial eletrônico, tem se mostrado importante para a definição da transferência eletrônica em porfirinas. Neste trabalho apresentamos a síntese, purificação e caracterização por espectroscopia UV/Vis, ¹H e 19F RMN, luminescência e tempos de vida de novos modelos moleculares de porfirinas, que permitam investigar esses parâmetros. Utilizou-se o dímero Zn,Mn(TPPF4)2pip e seus monômeros ZnTPPF4pipH e MnF5TPP. A caracterização do ZnMn(TPPF4)2pip, foi dificultada devido a presença de Mn+3, devido ao forte acoplamento dos orbitais dpi do manganês e o sistema pi da porfirina, que aumenta a interação manganês-porfirina mudando o espectro eletrônico UV/Vis e distorcendo os sinais de ¹H e 19F RMN do dímero. A presença de Mn+3 desloca E1/2 do anel porfirínico para valores mais negativos, o que resulta em reduções mais difíceis, impedindo a transferência de energia da Znporfirina para a Mnporfirina.

Porphyrins have revealed that factors as the energy transfer distance, molecular geometry and the difference of electronic potential, are important in a well defined electronic transfer. Porphyrin- containing donor-acceptor systems have been usefully employed to test various theoretical descriptions of electron transfer. The objective of this paper consists on the synthesis, purification and characterization by UV/Vis spectroscopy, ¹H and 19F NMR, luminescence and lifetime of new molecular models, allowing the investigation of energy transfer parameters. This study was accomplished using the dimer Zn,Mn(TPPF4)2pip and its monomers ZnTPPF4pipH and MnF5TPP. The dimer characterization, Zn,Mn(TPPF4)2pip, was difficult due to the presence of Mn3+. The strong overlap between dpi orbitals of manganese and the porphyrin pi system increases the interaction manganese-porphyrin in changing the UV/Vis electronic spectrum and distorting the ¹H and 19F NMR signals of dimer. The presence of Mn3+ shifts the reduction potential of E1/2 of the porphyrin ring to more negatives values, what results in more difficult reductions, disabling the transfer of energy from Zincporphyrin to Manganeseporphyrin.

Neste trabalho, o luminóforo azul Sr2CeO4 é preparado a partir de um precursor multicomponente na forma de pó via método de combustão, variando-se o combustível, resultando num pó de partículas finas. A utilização de ácido cítrico ou glicina como combustível leva à formação de composições diferentes, que após tratamento térmico a 950ºC, convertem-se em um material com predominância da fase Sr2CeO4. A emissão de luz branca azulada é somente observada nas amostras após tratamento térmico, e seus espectros de excitação e de emissão são idênticos e característicos da fase luminescente Sr2CeO4. Portanto o método de combustão é apropriado para preparação de luminóforos azuis.

This work reports on the preparation of Sr2CeO4 blue phosphor with fine particles by using a powder multi-component precursor, via combustion method, varying the fuel. Citric acid or glycine as fuels lead to the formation of different phase mixture. After heating under 950ºC both different phase mixtures result on a material that the mainly phase is the Sr2CeO4. White blue luminescence is only observed for these samples after thermal treatment and both of them present similar emission and excitation spectra that are characteristics of Sr2CeO4 phase. Therefore, the combustion method is adequate for blue phosphor preparation.

Synthetic procedures, characterization and luminescent properties of Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions supported on silica gel functionalized with beta-diketones are presented. The functionalization with propyl benzoyltrifluoroacetone (BPG), dibenzoylmethane (DBM) and hexafluoroacetone (HPG), leads to new luminescent materials which photophysical properties depend on the group substituent in the beta-diketone. These systems were evaluated in terms of luminescence and lifetime of the Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions. Silica functionalization was confirmed by TGA and Elemental Analysis. The sample contents of ions were from 0,2 to 0,3 % (w/w).