New materials have been created to convert invisible radiation into visible light
Chemists from Moscow State University synthesized new complex compounds of rare earth elements and determined their structure in the crystalline state. The study was published in the Journal of Fluorine Chemistry.
Nowadays, many functional materials are made from a complex of metals. Thus, materials for electronics, optics, nanotechnology, and superconductors are made from rare-earth metal carboxylates, which, in turn, are obtained from rare-earth metal oxides. Rare earth oxides, which include 17 silver-white metals, are practically insoluble in water and are quite rare in nature.
The most promising method for obtaining films and nanoparticles from rare-earth metals is the deposition of organometallic precursors (substances participating in the reaction, due to which the target substance is formed) from a solution. This method is called MOCSD (Metal Organic Chemical Solution Deposition) and makes it possible to obtain thin films of functional materials for electronics, optics, and superconductivity in a simpler and cheaper way than using expensive physical methods of deposition. When deposited from solution, organometallic precursors decompose at relatively low temperatures (300–600 ° C), and this leads to the removal of organic components and the formation of amorphous or nanocrystalline films. In the course of the work, the scientists created smooth amorphous oxides using monoethanolamine and diethylenetriamine – organic oily liquids that mix well with water. The compounds were synthesized in a flow of an inert gas using vacuum equipment and analyzed using elemental analysis, thermogravimetry, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Theoretical modeling was also carried out, part of which was carried out on supercomputers at Moscow State University.
The results obtained within the framework of this work will allow applying the MOCSD method to new optical materials. The proposed method for the deposition of thin-film sodium yttrium tetrafluoride (NaYF4) can become the basis for a new method for producing this luminescent material. In addition, one of the forms of this substance is used for upconversion (conversion of the invisible part of solar radiation into visible light with its subsequent absorption by solar panels
) .Source: indicator.ru