CHROMSENSUC · Chromophore-Sensitized Up-Conversion in Lanthanide Materials
FP7 — People (Marie Curie Actions)
- Duration
- 2012-09-01 → 2016-08-31
- EU contribution
- €100,000
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MC-CIG
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Chromophore-Sensitized Up-Conversion in Lanthanide Materials
The ChromSENSUC project was a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant held in the High Pressure and Spectroscopy Group of the University of Cantabria by Dr. Ignacio Hernández and aiming at studying the properties of energy transfer and light upconversion (conversion of low energy [red/infra-red] radiation into higher [UV-visible]) in lanthanide materials with organic groups. http://personales.unican.es/hernandi The applications of these materials and phenomenology span from organic electronics to telecommunications, secret inks, photochemistry, etc. During this research, the goal has been producing advanced materials based on upconverting lanthanides and understanding the main intervening mechanisms for energy transfer processes. The major target has been producing design rules and efficient materials for improved phosphor capabilities from the red/infra-red region of the spectrum into the visible. Challenges have involved decreasing the quenching of the lanthanides’ low energy excited states and coupling to organic chromophores. The project has articulated along the production and study of several families of compounds at ambient and low/high temperature conditions, as well as high pressure. The high pressure study allows systematic variations of the structure and electronic states without changing the chemical composition, which helps de-coupling the involved opto-structural mechanisms. Incidentally, the study of the proposed organic semiconductors at high hydrostatic pressure has constituted a novel and original research line itself, with multiple associated phenomenology and applications. The fruits of this research have been published in international journals, series of books and disseminated in international conferences. The research is still ongoing as the proposed directions and strategy allow for more research. The progress along the ChromSensUC project represents a decisive contribution to the Fellow’s professional re-integration and research career for the longer term. The Marie Curie CIG grant, understood as a tenure-track position by the University has allowed the researcher the involvement in teaching duties, and career development schemes, and has served as foundation of his academic independence and leadership. At the end of the tenure track, the Fellow has achieved an interim permanent position which is to be definitely fixed when replacement of retired staff allows it. The ChromSensUC project has allowed consolidating existing collaborations with other international groups and the development of new ones, including collaborations with British, Chinese, Mexican and Spanish groups, apart from the ones within the host institution.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
This proposal seeks to demonstrate and understand a new class of materials for up-converting infrared (IR) radiation into the visible range through linear radiation-matter interactions, exploiting the optical and electronic properties of trivalent rare-earth ions and organic-based light harvesting compounds.It is known that materials doped with lanthanide ions are capable of combining low energy excitations into higher states via excited state absorptions and energy transfer, resulting in visible or UV emission upon IR excitation. However, the primary absorptions are partially forbidden, which results in a low performance or the requirement of relatively high exciting power. Our aim is to exploit the fact that organic chromophores can have very high absorption coefficients, several orders of magnitude greater than the lanthanide ions, and can act as primary sensitizers by transferring the excitation to them, thus providing an effective increase in absorption and hence, in up-conversion. Following recent discoveries on the nature of the organics to be employed towards this end, we will pursue a twofold strategy. On one hand we will study up-converting organolanthanide polymers incorporating IR chromophores and on the other hand, hybrids based on well known, efficient lanthanide-doped inorganics in combination with IR absorbing organic dyes. The inclusion of chromophore-containing dyes will be done though chemical methods during the synthesis or via coating of nanostructures to exploit inter-molecular and inter-domain energy transfer. We will aim at design rules through opto-structural correlations derived by spectroscopic and characterization experiments at ambient and high pressure of the un-sensitized and sensitized materials.The study and approach are expected to impact on the multidisciplinary Material Science community due to the applications in optical and solar cell technologies as well as Biology due to potential uses in labeling and therapy.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSIDAD DE CANTABRIA · SANTANDERCoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union