Luminescent properties of Eu3+ doped silica containing silver nanoparticles

Sol-gel silica monoliths containing two-dimensional (2D) silver nanoparticles and Eu3+-dopants were prepared through a directed copolymer synthesis. Photoluminescent properties of Eu3+ were examined as a function of silver nanoparticle concentration. Luminescent intensity of the sol-gel samples was found to be enhanced in the presence of silver nanoparticles with low particle concentration, which is thought to result from the surface plasma resonance of the silver nanoparticles. It was found that silver nanoparticles also affected the hypersensitivity ratio of Eu3+ luminescence implying preferential coupling to the plasmon-mediated electric dipoles of the Ag nanoparticles. The observed enhancements in these thermally and mechanically robust nanocomposite glasses could be of great value for active telecommunication and displays applications.