Enhanced 1520 nm photoluminescence from Er3+ ions in di-erbium-carbide metallofullerenes (Er2C2)@C82 (isomers I, II, and III).

Ito, Yasuhiro; Okazaki, Toshiya; Okubo, Shingo; Akachi, Masahiro; Ohno, Yutaka; Mizutani, Takashi; Nakamura, Tetsuya; Kitaura, Ryo et al. · ACS Nano · 2007

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Di-erbium and di-erbium-carbide endohedral metallofullerenes with a C(82) cage such as Er(2)@C(82) (isomers I, II, and III) and (Er(2)C(2))@C(82) (isomers I, II, and III) have been synthesized and chromatographically isolated (99%). The structures of Er(2)@C(82) (I, II, III) and (Er(2)C(2))@C(82) (I, II, III) metallofullerenes are characterized by comparison with the UV-vis-NIR absorption spectra of (Y(2)C(2))@C(82) (I, II, III), where molecular symmetries of the structures are determined to be C(s), C(2v) and C(3v), respectively. Furthermore, enhanced near-infrared photoluminescence (PL) at 1520 nm from Er(3+) ions in Er(2)@C(82) (I, III) and (Er(2)C(2))@C(82) (I, III) have been observed at room temperature. The PL intensities have been shown to depend on the symmetry of the C(82) cage. In particular, the PL intensity of (Er(2)C(2))@C(82) (III) has been the strongest among the isomers of Er(2)@C(82) and (Er(2)C(2))@C(82). Optical measurements indicate that the PL properties of Er(2)@C(82) (I, II, III) and (Er(2)C(2))@C(82) (I, II, III) correlate strongly with the absorbance at 1520 nm and the HOMO-LUMO energy gap of the C(82) cage.