Erbium (Er3+) containing perfluorosulfonic polymer film with high photoluminescence quantum yield

Abstract Novel erbium (Er 3+ ) containing perfluorosulfonic polymer Nafion films were prepared by spinning–coating and dripping method. The Er 3+ ions were bonded to Nafion by the coordination to Er 3+ of sulphonic groups. The refractive index of the film with a thickness of 2 μm is 1.3631 at 1315 nm. The thermal and photoluminescence properties of the films were investigated by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and photoluminescence spectra. It was found that the films have high thermal stability. In the photoluminescence investigation, the films heated at 300 °C have typical emission around 1535 nm due to the 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 transition of Er 3+ and longer luminescence lifetimes. The highest NIR PL quantum efficiency was found to be 0.4%, which is about 20 times higher than the usual erbium organic complexes with the hydrogen-containing ligands.