Synthesis and photophysical properties of luminescent lanthanide containing semiconductor nanoparticles

CHED 343

Stephanie Howell Johnson, sjohnson1@chatham.edu1, Adrienne M. Yingling, amy13@pitt.edu2, and Stephane Petoud, spetoud@pitt.edu2. (1) Department of Chemistry, Chatham University, Woodland Road, Box 549, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, (2) Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Chevron Science Center Rm 1005, 219 Parkman Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
A growing demand for light emitting materials and sensors induced our lab to create semiconductor nanoparticles that would serve as antennae for lanthanide cation. Free lanthanides have weak luminescence, the f-f transitions being forbidden. Luminescent lanthanide cations need to be sensitized by a suitable “antenna.” In this project, different types of semiconductor nanoparticles have been used to achieve this function. The bandgaps of the different nanoparticles can be adjusted to the accepting levels of the different luminescent lanthanide cations. In addition, the nanoparticle has the ability to protect the lanthanide cation from quenching because it isolated the lanthanide from high frequency vibrational solvents. The synthesis and analysis of various lanthanide semiconductor nanoparticle combinations allowed for the systematic study of the photophysical and structural properties.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Nanotechnology
11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008