Hydrothermal synthesis and luminescent properties of a new family of organically templated lanthanide fluorides

A new family of luminescent materials has been prepared by hydrothermal techniques. The materials are derived from the novel organically templated framework structure [C2N2H10](0).(5)[Y2F7]. This structure type consists of a three-dimensional yttrium fluoride framework incorporating two similar, but crystallographically distinct, yttrium sites. The lanthanide analogues [C2N2H10](0.5)[Ln(2)F(7)] have been prepared for Ln = Nd3+ and Eu3+-Lu3+, and the crystal structure of [C2N2H10](0.5)[Yb2F7] is reported in detail. Photo-, cathodo- and radioluminescence measurements have been carried out on a range of Gd3+-, Eu3+- and Tb3+-doped derivatives of [C2N2H10](0.5)[Y2F7], all of which show characteristic luminescence emissions.