Europium(III) diphenylphosphinate as a potential low-dimensional nanostructured coordination polymer scintillator

Rare earth diphenylphosphinates – [RE(dpp)₃]_n – are low-dimensional nanostructured luminescent materials with considerable thermal and chemical stability, obtained in powder form, consisting of highly insoluble nanowire/nanorod-shaped particles. As a potential candidate for applications as nanocrystalline scintillator devices, [Eu(dpp)₃]_n has been synthesized by wet route precipitation methodologies. X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) measurements revealed that the samples show intense emission under X-ray excitation, presenting structural and electronic stability against continuous and prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation without changing the chemical environment in which the trivalent europium ion is inserted. Indeed, the self-structuring of [RE(dpp)₃]_n in a polymeric matrix of high thermal stability allowed [Eu(dpp)₃]_n to be a low-dimensional nanostructured luminescent coordination polymer resistant to radiation damage.