Photoluminescent Epoxy/Gd2O3:Eu3+ UV-cured Nanocomposites

Abstract

UV-cured photoluminescent coatings emitting in the visible spectral region are obtained by dispersing Gd2O3:4 mol% Eu3+ nanorods in three different commercially available photocurable epoxy resins. The effect of the concentration of the Gd2O3:4 mol% Eu3+ nanorods on the kinetics of the photocuring reaction is followed using real-time FT-IR. Thermal and the mechanical properties of the cured films are also investigated. Moreover, the effect of the matrix and nanorod concentration in the composites on the emission and excitation spectra and the D-5(0)(C-2) decay time of Eu3+ is evaluated. The composite materials present original photoluminescence properties and demonstrate the potential of UV curing as a technique to develop smart photoactive coatings.