Improved photoluminescence properties of one-dimensional (1D) composite fibers of Ho@PVP and Yb@PVP prepared by electrospinning

Abstract

Two new Holmium3+ and Ytterbium3+ compounds, {Ho(4cba)3(phen)(H2O)} (1) and {Yb(4cba)3(phen)} (2) (4cba = 4-Cyanobenzoic acid, phen = 1,10-Phenanthroline) were synthesized. These compounds were then incorporated into a Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) matrix at different concentrations (5 wt% to 25 wt%) using an electrospinning technique, resulting in the formation of 1D luminescent composite fibers, Ho@PVP and Yb@PVP. The products were analyzed using various characterization techniques to determine their structures and morphologies. A comprehensive study was conducted to investigate the thermal and photoluminescence properties of these composite nanofibers in comparison to their pure compounds. The findings revealed significant enhancements in the photostability and thermal stability of the composite nanofibers due to the solid environment provided by PVP for the compounds. Furthermore, it was observed that the composite nanofibers exhibited notably superior the thermal-stability and the photo-stability when compared to their pure compounds.